tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30550863344130081522024-03-06T20:50:26.642-08:00my life.....in run on sentencesthe places I go...... the things I do...... the people I seeSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.comBlogger385125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-64161426123479245752017-02-17T10:23:00.004-08:002017-02-17T10:23:40.789-08:00Testing Round Two......Is anyone here? Is this thing on?<br />
<br />
Just checking. I had that random thought that maybe I should start
blogging a bit again. You know, books, food, races. Oh, and probably
Dolly. <br />
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What do you think?
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-46232169210538427252017-02-15T14:40:00.002-08:002017-02-15T14:40:54.529-08:00Test......test. test.Is anyone here? Is this thing on?<br />
<br />
Just checking. I had that random thought that maybe I should start blogging a bit again. You know, books, food, races. Oh, and probably Dolly.<br />
<br />
What do you think?Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-19801728700468563912014-02-28T08:00:00.000-08:002014-02-28T08:00:00.442-08:00the end......yes, I finished reading all those short classics that <a href="http://simplysusanslife.blogspot.com/2014/01/short-month-short-stories.html" target="_blank">I challenged myself </a>to read in February! in fact, I am almost finished with an additional book......that I am enjoying much more than I did some of THESE books!<br />
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<i>The Stranger</i> by Albert Camus - this guy was so detached from his own life it was depressing.<br />
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<i>The Metamorphosis</i> by Franz Kafka - while everyone sees this as a deep look into how society treats people who are different.......I kept wondering how the heck the dude was so accepting about being turned in to a bug and why he thought everyone was going to be so okay with it.<br />
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<i>Silar Marner</i> by George Eliot - this was a shocker! I truly didn't expect the story to be anything like it was and I LOVED IT!!! I wish I had saved it and read it last so I could end on an high note.<br />
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<i>The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i> by Robert Louis Stevenson - it must have been a writing gimmic of the times, but I didn't like the manner in which the story was written. it was very confusing. the story was at least 20 pages in before the title character was introduced.<br />
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<i>The Sorrows</i> of Young Werther by Johan Wolfgang von Goethe - Werther was an idiot. many people talk about what a great love story this was. no, it wasn't. it was the story of a spoiled brat who couldn't handle not getting what he wanted.<br />
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so now that is over and I can head back to my ever-increasing stack of books. I am almost finished with <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hollow-city-ransom-riggs/1117650157?ean=9781594746123" target="_blank">Hollow City</a> (the follow up to <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/miss-peregrines-home-for-peculiar-children-ransom-riggs/1100388567?ean=9781594746031" target="_blank">Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children</a>). it is an equally mesmerizing and enjoyable book as the original! Ransom Riggs is one darn creative man!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-31645779908227625552014-02-18T08:00:00.000-08:002014-02-18T08:00:05.026-08:00moving right along.....short story by short storyI really kinda question whether these are true "short stories." perhaps Huffington just meant they were on the short side?!?!? a couple have been over 200 pages. that is a lot to read in one day. <br />
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anyway........this long weekend went a long way in reading short stories!<br />
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<i>O Pioneers!</i> by Willa Cather - might be my favorite. a wonderful story of family, hope, and love.<br />
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<i>The Picture of Dorian Gray</i> by Oscar Wilde - what a great writer! and what a twisted story! Stephen King has nothing on this guy!<br />
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<i>War of the Worlds</i> by HG Wells - totally ahead of his time. truly inventive thinking.<br />
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<i>The Pearl</i> by John Steinbeck - with him as the author, I knew it wasn't going to be an easy ending......and it wasn't.<br />
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as a random group, I think these four have been the best. each story was well written. none of them got crazy with alliteration. and all of them (with perhaps <i>War of the Worlds</i> as the exception) did a great job of developing the individual characters and making you care about them. I think <i>WotW</i> failed in that area, but I don't think that was his intent anyway. <br />
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that leaves me with 5 to go. of those, I am still waiting on 2 of them from the library. I am first on the hold list but feel like I am running out of time for them to be turned in, sent to my library, with enough time for me to read them. I know I can purchase both of them for my Nook, but wouldn't it be a triumph if I could get through the month without having to purchase any of the books? keep your fingers crossed for me!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-48603188573618655112014-02-15T08:00:00.000-08:002014-02-15T08:00:01.915-08:00and the shortness continues! (short books.....quit saying I'm short!)February.....the month of short jokes! since there is so little time to do anything this month, I am <a href="http://simplysusanslife.blogspot.com/2014/01/short-month-short-stories.html" target="_blank">reading short books</a>. now we are 15 days in to the month and I have read 12 books! good progress I think!<br />
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<i>The Awakening</i> by Kate Chopin - was slow, a little vague, but with a surprising ending. well, maybe not surprising. just odd for assumptions made about the time period it was written in?<br />
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<i>Northanger Abbey</i> by Jane Austen - this book would make a great comic opera! I think if people had spoken plain english to each other and used common sense, the whole thing book could have been avoided!<br />
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<i>The Turn of the Screw</i> by Henry James - other than bringing up <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mysteries_of_Udolpho" target="_blank">Udolpho</a> for the second book in a row (I went and looked it up finally), this book could have used some plain, direct language. I seem to have a completely different idea about the ending.<br />
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<i>Ethan Frome</i> by Edith Wharton - wow! dude has some crummy luck. that's all I am saying. you know how someone posts a "Downton Abbey if played out on Facebook"? I would love to see someone do that with this book! <br />
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have you tackled any of the books on the list? Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-42464928921502257792014-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:002014-02-10T08:00:04.856-08:00more shorties & a BONUS read! lol!yes, February is the month I am <a href="http://simplysusanslife.blogspot.com/2014/01/short-month-short-stories.html" target="_blank">reading a bunch of Classic Short Books</a>, courtesy of Huffington Post. well, let's start by saying some of these are a bit longer than I had anticipated. but I am still making good progress. <br />
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and like I previously did, here are my short reviews:<br />
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<i>Passing</i> by Nella Larsen - you know how things start popping up once you have been introduced to them? the concept of "passing" came up multiple times just after reading this book......which was well written, interesting, educational, and a tad bit startling. <br />
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<i>Billy Budd, Sailor</i> by Herman Melville - if nothing else, this books shows me what a blessed educational career I had. I never had to read this is in school! no wonder the other kids hated English class! dear me! this was wretched reading!<br />
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<i>Frankenstein</i> by Mary Shelley - sometimes it is difficult to read a story that you have read/seen so many different interpretations of. I spent most of my time trying to exclude those stories from my brain while I enjoyed the original. Shelley's version is so much better than all the souped up versions!<br />
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<i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - I didn't find anything particularly different about this story than the other Sherlock stories I have read. it was odd to read it while hubby was watching the PBS show!<br />
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so now I am 10 days into the month with 8 stories down. I think that is a pretty good pace.......especially since I had to finish reading <i>Unbroken</i> in the middle there. THAT book was much more than I thought it would be. more about running (Huh.......I didn't know, really I didn't!), less about the war, and more about humanity than I expected. I wonder how they will frame the movie......there are a lot of options. I expect they will take the view I would least like them to take so I am glad I read the book!<br />
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13 books to go (since I have recently read <i>A Christmas Carol</i> and <i>The Great Gatsby</i>) and 18 days left in the month! how is your reading coming?Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-20366777322938402052014-02-05T08:00:00.000-08:002014-02-05T08:00:06.205-08:00short month update!last week I told you I was going to spend February <a href="http://simplysusanslife.blogspot.com/2014/01/short-month-short-stories.html" target="_blank">reading short stories</a>. I figured I might as well give you some short updates of my progress along with some short reviews! <br />
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today is the 4th (or it was last night when I wrote this) and I have read 4 books! pretty good progress considering I spent most of Sunday either running or being Super Bowl involved.<br />
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<i>Heart of Darkness</i> by Joseph Conrad - dear me! this one almost ended the entire thing. I got so under water with all the alliteration that I am not sure what the story was really about. <br />
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<i>The Big Sleep</i> by Raymond Chandler - nothing short about this. it was a full length book! the period slang cracked me up. I could see becoming a Phillip Marlowe fan.<br />
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<i>Breakfast at Tiffany's</i> by Truman Capote - very much like the movie. I could hear Audrey Hepburn the whole time I was reading it. (not that that is a bad thing!)<br />
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<i>Animal Farm</i> by George Orwell - what is there to say about this book? so on point and so well written! <br />
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I believe <i>Passing</i> is next. the edition of <i>The Metamorphosis</i> I requested from the library showed up as a graphic novel. no thank you! Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-51975560537440352662014-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:002014-01-27T08:00:04.661-08:00short month = short storiesyou might have noticed.........February is the shortest month of the year.<br />
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you might have noticed..........<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4570674-susan" target="_blank">I like to read books</a>. (does that link work??)<br />
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well........I have this friend who likes to send me various lists of books to read. actually, I have several friends who send me lists of books to read. based on these lists, I currently have a list of 79 books to read........in addition to the authors I read already and the books I have somehow managed to find all on my own.<br />
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one recent list was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/06/these-classic-books-are-s_n_4373470.html" target="_blank">Huffington Post: These Amazing Classic Books Are So Short You Have No Excuse Not To Read Them</a>. yes, that is seriously the title! and what a challenge! but to really make it a challenge.......I decided I needed to read them all during.......yep, you guessed it.......the shortest month of the year!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJuK85t_z3yLMrMvWrO_DDrQKnbLm0Wl4EBkvPpafc_jQbQntfZuXldej6hCOA4-mEZIWShaF89ZaBempBKZkznooU1aUmSOm6uSxcT8ICC0qw5eUvGsi9C5xW0CKxQxbyM2ot4ADZo-J/s1600/Short+Stories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJuK85t_z3yLMrMvWrO_DDrQKnbLm0Wl4EBkvPpafc_jQbQntfZuXldej6hCOA4-mEZIWShaF89ZaBempBKZkznooU1aUmSOm6uSxcT8ICC0qw5eUvGsi9C5xW0CKxQxbyM2ot4ADZo-J/s1600/Short+Stories.jpg" height="190" width="400" /></a></div>
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admittedly there are only 23 books on the list and 28 days in the month so there is a bit of cushion for me. which is good since I currently have 10 full sized books and 2 ebooks checked out to read in addition to those 23 oh-so-short books. <br />
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why have I mentioned all this to you? well.......in case you wanted to play along of course!!! <br />
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if you look at the photo above, I have tracked down all 23 books. (well, at least for those of you who live in Sacramento County and have a <a href="http://www.saclibrary.org/" target="_blank">library card</a>!) <i>Passing</i> can be requested through an interlibrary request. it is the one physical book I am contemplating purchasing and donating after I read it. the library e-books are available through <a href="http://www.overdrive.com/" target="_blank">Overdrive</a>, a service to which most library systems subscribe. the ones that are grayed out I was able to download for free on either my Nook or Kindle app (hint! hint!). I have read both <i>The Great Gatsby</i> and <i>A Christmas Carol </i>before......and recently........so I will be skipping those. but I believe I was able to find both of them for free as well. and, thanks to a randomly odd education, we are in possession of Frankenstein and The Stranger. that means I only need to worry about getting half of the books I need from the library.<br />
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my plan of attack is to request the books I don't own first (and before this blog post goes live). that way I can read ones I own while the others are on their way. worst case, I will buy whatever I can't get in time.<br />
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do you think I can do it? 200 pages per day shouldn't be too difficult.....except on Super Bowl Sunday, the day of the Davis Stampede Half Marathon, the two days I am meeting friends to scrapbook.......oh dear!! maybe it will rain and I can get some serious training done......on a treadmill......while I read?<br />
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on your mark.........<br />
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get set..........<br />
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READ!!!!<br />
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let me know if you are going to get some short reading done in February. I'd love to chat books with you!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-71737506612060653562014-01-09T08:00:00.000-08:002014-01-09T08:00:03.365-08:00#DineDowntown Southern Style: The PorchDid you resolve to eat out less often? Eat healthier? Blah, blah, blah........well you can start on January 18th! Why? Well, because it is the most wonderful time of the year! Not only is it MY birthday but it is also <a href="http://downtownsac.org/events/dine-downtown/" target="_blank">Dine Downtown Week</a>! 10 days of awesomeness where several downtown Sacramento restaurants offer special $31 dollar menus to tempt you out into the cold. (the price went up a dollar this year for a good reason and a good cause: <a href="http://californiafoodliteracy.org/" target="_blank">California Food Literacy</a> so you can feel GOOD about going out to eat!)<br />
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This year I started my celebrating at <a href="http://www.theporchrestaurantandbar.com/" target="_blank">The Porch Restaurant and Bar</a>, a beautiful appropriately stylish but laid back Southern restaurant filled with mock windows giving the room an airy feel. Please note: the menu originally posted on the Dine Downtown site was wrong, though may have been updated since. <br />
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Because hubby and I were dining together, we were able to try almost every dish on the special menu. We did not try the Vegetable Pasta Plate but a gentleman at a nearby table did and seemed to be quite happy with his choice. From my vantage point, I would have been pleased and satisfied with the offering.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMgJdTd2rRM900SNvoB8qXr-nxWp5dUSsjSGegGhIbSwcnEPVV1u3h7hSqiQsbz4bmUpjsejQCIR1IQewZk3OoYrjM3YwkO8K2Af87WFKrq6UAAtLp2mnzlqC0tY9z1M-vUtHkAvs4G1G/s1600/fried+beet+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMgJdTd2rRM900SNvoB8qXr-nxWp5dUSsjSGegGhIbSwcnEPVV1u3h7hSqiQsbz4bmUpjsejQCIR1IQewZk3OoYrjM3YwkO8K2Af87WFKrq6UAAtLp2mnzlqC0tY9z1M-vUtHkAvs4G1G/s1600/fried+beet+salad.jpg" height="278" width="320" /></a></div>
So, confession time.......I do not like beets. Apparently I really liked them as a small child and must have eaten my share then because I tend to avoid them now. Well, The Porch's Fried Beet Salad is proof that everything is better deep fried! Add some Cara Cara oranges, Sierra Nevada Chevre, blueberries, and a citrus vinaigrette and you have a hit, even for beet unenthusiasts! The sweet soft cheese and vinaigrette meld together to make a wonderful sauce. <br />
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The Pork Belly Taco offered nice big juicy pieces of pork belly nestled on a little lettuce and tucked in with some fresh avocado and creme fraiche. I thought the crisping of the tortilla might make it a bit difficult to fold and eat, but the crispness was just enough to offer a contrast to the rich creaminess of the avocado and pork belly. And if you happen to have a little bit of tortilla leftover and dredged it through some of that cheesy citrus vinaigrette like my husband did, no one would blame you.........they'd probably be jealous! </div>
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For his entree, Hubby had the Compart Duroc Pork Tenderloin. See those little cubes at the bottom of the plate? They are bits of apple from the pecan, apple, onion relish. Pretty simply made with some black and red pepper but all together it becomes a sweet and wonderful accompaniment to the pork. Even with the fruit and the molasses, the dish wasn't sweet like I expected. Jeff said the bacon was his favorite part. It was nice and meaty and he could taste the applewood. Please note: I am not commenting on it......he didn't share! (I did get a bite of the pork.......but I think he saved the bacon for himself!) </div>
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Not getting to taste Jeff's bacon wasn't a problem since I had this big ol' plate of flaky buttermilk fried catfish. Oh my gracious The Porch does breading right! The fish meat was thick and juicy and the coating was flaky and crispy and seasoned perfectly! The andouille sausage was nice, but I could have skipped it........see how much catfish I have? But the most surprising part of the meal was the pimiento cheese grits. I took a bite. I took a second bite. Instantly an image of that goofy jar of Kraft cheese spread came to mind.......along with someone scraping every bit out of the jar to swirl into some grits. Yeah, that isn't what they do. Instead, The Porch makes their own pimiento cheese and oh is it worth it! A wonderful creamy taste with a bit of pimiento tang. Heaven!! Add in the pickled corn salsa and it could be a meal on its own.<br />
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For dessert, Hubby had the Wildflower Honey Creme Brulee.I thought it was a bit on the small side, but it was more than enough creamy honey goodness to satisfy him. The cream and berries went well to lighten up what could have easily become a heavy dish and provided a sweet ending to his meal. </div>
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That left the Red Velvet Float to me. I had never heard of <a href="http://bigred.com/" target="_blank">Big Red</a> before but liked the idea of a float......who doesn't? Well, Big Red is a cherry flavored cream soda that I was told is very popular in the South. Together with the buttermilk ice cream, it was a delicious treat. I was too full from the catfish to finish my dessert, but can see daydreaming about this float when the temperature breaks through 100F. <br />
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Now, while I don't think any combination of options of the Dine Downtown menu from The Porch will fail to leave you full and happy, if somehow you think you might have a smidge of room available, I would suggest you add an order of their Skillet Cornbread to your meal. Great cornbread and mouth watering homemade jam and jalapeno honey butter........or maybe get it the next time you go back? Because, if you go during Dine Downtown, you will probably go back. And isn't that the best part of the celebration.......to find new tasty places to eat?<br />
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<i>Disclosure: Our meal was provided in exchange for this review and blog post. But, you know me......I tell it like it is!</i>
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<br />
in 2013, I completed a total of 5 half marathons. wow! crazy considering I was pushing it walking 2 miles at a time this time last year. I am not at the speed I would like to be at yet but improved my half pace from 16 minutes to a 13:18 pace at the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco........even with all those awesome hills! I guess you could call that the first step towards completing a triathlon? first of three steps?<br />
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well........along comes January 4, 2014. and well, step number 2 is completed! (though I guess telling you that is like reading the last page of a book, isn't it?!?!?!)<br />
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but, along with a bunch of friends (another gift from the merry months of 2013) at <a href="http://www.tbftraining.com/" target="_blank">TBF</a>, we had some adventures Saturday morning!! see my beautiful friends?? see our beautiful day glow name stickers that say we are allowed in the transition area.....how cool!!!! <br />
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as hubby wasn't participating, he wasn't allowed into the transition area. (neener neener neener!) course, then he got roped into volunteering. his job was to make sure a bunch of us didn't crash into each other! (another spoiler: he was successful!) but I am getting off point now....... <br />
<br />
anyway, my Saturday excursion into the unseasonably warm weather involved a 4 mile run broken in half by a 6.5 mile bike ride. the running I wasn't much worried about. even with the lessened focus on training in the past few weeks (like 8 of them)......I knew I could survive that. heck, I could walk if I needed to. the biking and transition between the two parts was the big question. afterall.....my beautiful bike, now christened (with multiple mimosas) <a href="http://www.broderick1893.com/" target="_blank">Broderick</a>, has less than 100 miles on it. I am still get confused shifting.......and oh my gosh trying to get a drink while riding is a scary scary thing......and this is all without the fact that I am in the middle of a race with a bunch of other riders around me who may or may not be more proficient than me.<br />
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I still have lots to learn.......I can't tell you how I did for the running versus the biking parts because while I have managed to figure out how to drink while riding without killing myself or anyone else........I am still working on learning my Garmin! <br />
<br />
but I did it! see! proof!!! (a friend took this photo........while yelling at me to drink more!) and, I did it all in what I
figured was the least possible amount of time I thought it could
possibly take me........1 hour and 30 minutes! dang! for me that was
awesome! <br />
<br />
anyway, now I have completed a duathlon: running and biking! (yeah me!) 2 down, 1 to go........though I am not sure how in the world I am going to add swimming to the mix. good thing I have 51 weeks left of the year to figure it out!<br />
<br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-54285572051007127152014-01-06T08:00:00.000-08:002014-01-06T08:00:05.858-08:002014 - the year without resolution as my faithful readers know (all 7 of them lol!), 2013 was the <a href="http://simplysusanslife.blogspot.com/search/label/my24" target="_blank">Year of 24</a> filled with goals for weight loss, exercise, Scrapbooking, and blogging. my goal was to focus myself on balance and doing what I needed/wanted to do. and yes, I pretty much surpassed all my goals.<br />
<br />
for 2014 I do not have a laundry list of things to accomplish before I will consider the year a success. no magic number I want to see on my scale. no number of books I need to read. nada. nothing. zilch.<br />
<br />
I have one single solitary THING that I want to be able to say I have done before we start having to correct our check dates to 2015 (if anyone is still writing checks)...........<br />
<br />
<span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I am going to complete a triathlon!!! (duh dun duuuuuu!)</b></span></span><br />
<br />
now we aren't talking <a href="http://www.ironman.com/" target="_blank">IronMan</a> here or anything.....more like what are called sprint triathlons like 0.5 mile swim, 20 mile bike, 4 mile run. nothing close to 140.6 miles of exertion thankyouverymuch!! and no, it just isn't just a matter of time. it is more a matter of not having the time!<br />
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but, that is pretty much it for 2014. my guess if I work diligently towards not making a fool of myself in a triathlon then I will be eating healthy and exercising regularly. right?? so without some scale or calorie obsessing, I should be in darn good shape by working towards that tri goal.<br />
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and........since the year has already started, I will tell you that I have made an awesome step toward my goal. but, that is a post for another day!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-22484615536176854842013-12-31T08:00:00.000-08:002013-12-31T08:00:06.938-08:00My Year of 24.....cutting to the chase!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">so other than my procrastinated Christmas letter, I
haven’t updated this blog since <a href="http://simplysusanslife.blogspot.com/2013/08/can-we-please-outlaw-leaf-blowers.html" target="_blank">The Great Leaf Blowing Rant of August 27<sup>th</sup></a>.
and I haven’t acknowledged anything about my <a href="http://simplysusanslife.blogspot.com/2013/01/2013-year-of-24.html" target="_blank">Year of 24</a> since the end of July
(whose post was 12 days late). but you kind readers know me……you know I get
somewhat obsessed about something and it kinda takes over my life……and
therefore my time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">this is
not going to be one of those insanely long “let’s tell them what they’ve missed
posts”………just know that it was a lot and most of it starts off with “I woke up
way to early and put on my running shoes.” perhaps during the bleak days of
January I can tell you about all the fun you have missed!</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">instead,
this will be an overall Year of 24 review so we can all see where I succeeded
and where I failed……cuz wasn’t that the purpose of the whole thing? and, as a
reminder…….somewhere along the way I realized that some of my goals changed. </span></div>
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<u>
</u><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">24</span> scrapbook layouts </span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">when I stopped counting in July, I
was at 23 layouts for the year. I know that since then I haven’t attended any
crops but I do know that I have 2 layouts on my table that are just waiting for
journaling. so…….pretty darn close on this one! I’m going to call it good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">scrapbook
purchasing versus usage was a subset of the layout count. I wanted to focus on
using what I have and not buying more stuff. thankfully as I started focusing
on other interests, I was smart enough to stop buying a bunch of crafty things.
I picked up a few things for the card kit swap I was in but that is about it. unfortunately,
I also stopped doing a lot of crafty stuff. so I am not sure I gained anything
here.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">24</span></u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><u> cards for</u> </span><a href="http://operationwritehome.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Operation Write Home</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">this one was aced pretty quickly in
the year. by July, I had completed 63 cards and have continued to make a
minimum of 3 cards per month for them. CHECK!</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">24</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> pounds lost</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">how bad is it that I stopped paying
attention to this sometime around September? I still watched was I was eating
and made sure to exercise but it seems to be more how I feel and look now…..and
how well my body can handle everything I am throwing at it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">that being said……..you think I
missed this one and am justifying it?!?!? oh, no! 32 pounds lost and never to
be found again my friends! I expect another 10-15 to disappear during 2014 as I
work towards not being the last person to finish the triathlons I have signed
myself up for. (yes.......you read that right!)<br />
<br />
<u><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">24</span> Dolly walks</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I know I was a bad puppy parent.
Dolly did not get 24 walks from me per month. I did get the boys to step up and
help out more by the end of the year than at the beginning so that alleviates
some of my guilt. and since the secondary purpose of this goal was to get ME
out for 24 walks per month, I think we can call it good, right?!?!? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">according to Endomondo, when I wrote this around the middle of December, Dolly and I
together took 247 walks/runs and went 703 miles in 2013. I never used the
program unless she was with me. our average distance was about 3 miles. not
shabby!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1VbE1Bb9PBXw5sc3_Vcr5K926e4YhvIoW9qeGbHo7Yq5mEaaxos0t4vAaOySR1zg4ONqE9WPCOCxBnClLxuVHvroKYyRNYWadO1IAlQLp3zRQ6vjD3CsMt668GJ5oMnnuFHggjAYY8aB/s1600/Post+10K.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1VbE1Bb9PBXw5sc3_Vcr5K926e4YhvIoW9qeGbHo7Yq5mEaaxos0t4vAaOySR1zg4ONqE9WPCOCxBnClLxuVHvroKYyRNYWadO1IAlQLp3zRQ6vjD3CsMt668GJ5oMnnuFHggjAYY8aB/s320/Post+10K.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I will also tell you here……..in case
you haven’t actually spoken with me in real life because I have been telling
just about everyone…….Dolly completed a half marathon in August! my dog rocks!
she was a little pooped that afternoon, but she was a trooper through the
entire run……often telling me in her adorable way that I was going to slow and
to pick up the pace! (Dolly and I had just finished a 10K......she isn't even winded!)<br />
<br />
<u><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">24</span> blog posts</u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">shocking…….not including THIS post,
I had 32 posts in 2013! imagine what would have happened if I had continued to
post on a regular basis?!?!? (bad blogger! bad bad blogger!) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">if you remember……ha!.........I
didn’t put a number on the books read. in fact, I commented that perhaps I needed
to lay off the books a bit to accomplish the other goals I had set for myself.
but since most of my book reading takes place on the train to and from work or
at lunch, it wasn’t really impacted by my slight obsession with running.
therefore it should come as no surprise that I read 66 books in 2013. and dang
there were some good ones!! maybe I should do a review of a few sometime during
those bleak days of January?!?!? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">thanks for going along for the ride
(did I tell you I even did a 30 mile bike ride in 2013??? probably should talk
about that too, huh??). please feel free to harass me if you don’t hear from me
or my blog in a timely manner during 2014. I’ve already started color coding my
calendar to keep track of things so you know it is gonna be an adventure!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-23320244319156975142013-12-23T08:00:00.000-08:002013-12-23T08:00:05.796-08:00The Christmas Letter<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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so……..Christmas cards went out on Wednesday. If you didn’t get one it
is either because we don’t have your snail mail address or you are the card
whose address label printed funny and Jeff put aside to show me and now we don’t
know where it is!</div>
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if so, this is what it looks like:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwXenf9DHJieedTyzv3S7PQBTFUmCDbZK8PHLn9MmAnBO7W3HdeIMNYM8LLVD57oH3DKSEe6eVr6V080lGmN4kXiwYGZRNKr3zcN9kANqXcMV5RnLn0m51Balo0VQE3NJrytkR5YM7jid/s1600/completed+christmas+card+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwXenf9DHJieedTyzv3S7PQBTFUmCDbZK8PHLn9MmAnBO7W3HdeIMNYM8LLVD57oH3DKSEe6eVr6V080lGmN4kXiwYGZRNKr3zcN9kANqXcMV5RnLn0m51Balo0VQE3NJrytkR5YM7jid/s400/completed+christmas+card+2013.jpg" width="318" /> </a></div>
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<i>(don't mind that little yellow triangle in the middle of the photo.....that is the photo place trying to tell me the photo's resolution is crummy! it looks just fine people......chill out!) </i></div>
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here is a brief tour of what each photo is of……….more specifically than
“here’s Ryan and David and Dolly”……..which really is all that one in the center
is! above that is the photo of Jeff and I (with Dolly) at the <a href="http://www.runningwiththebears.org/" target="_blank">Running with the Bears</a> half marathon. you might remember reading about it <a href="http://simplysusanslife.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-pleafollowed-by-some-giveaways-yeah.html" target="_blank">HERE?!?!?</a> this photo
was post race. yes, we all three survived! to the right of that is boys in mud.
no shocker except it was after a <a href="http://www.downanddirtymudrun.com/" target="_blank">5K obstacle race</a> and the boys are a bit older
than your average mud playing kiddo. in the bottom right is a photo taken at
our 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary dinner at a super swanky restaurant in town (<a href="http://thekitchenrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">The Kitchen</a>......duh!).
unbeknownst to us, or her, a friend who is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Photographer-Rachel-Valley/77926413877" target="_blank">an awesome professional photographer</a>
was on assignment there that night. not only did it provide for some fun
conversation, but also resulted in a really nice photo of us! I guess once
every 20 years?!?!? and last but not least, a family shot from the Red Shoe
Crawl. who can resist an afternoon of walking around eating scrumptious
tidbits? I might have mentioned it <a href="http://simplysusanslife.blogspot.com/2012/06/calories-for-charity-shouldnt-count.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </div>
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as you can tell from the photos, 2013 was a pretty spectacular year for
us Bergs. we ate good food, we went to fun events, and a few of us even got
older (not me).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ryan would like you to
know he got his driver’s license……but I am pretty sure you heard me scream. Jeff
has gotten more interested in bike riding and David has been dipping his toe
into the world of running. sssshhh........the word “marathon” has even crossed his lips! as
for me, I went from taking Dolly for 2 mile walks to completing 5 half
marathons in 2013 and starting to prepare for a couple triathlons in 2014……all
something I would have laughed at you about a year ago!</div>
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with all that and a kid graduating from high school, 2014 is looking pretty crazy too! (starting with a Polar Plunge on New Year's Day........at least what passes for one in California!) I hope 2014 brings you some equally fun adventures! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">p.s. because I KNOW you miss it SO MUCH.....I will be doing a Year of 24 wrap up.......more like clean up......before year end. sheesh! what a slacker, huh?? </span></div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-77769952675856028402013-08-27T08:00:00.000-07:002013-08-27T08:00:07.972-07:00Can we please outlaw leaf blowers?yes, I am serious!! I don't get them at all. basically a person stands there wasting gas, polluting the air, while blowing leaves/garbage/whatever from one spot to another and usually irritating everyone within 25 feet with dust and debris......you know, like from a business to the public street......where it will get blown back to the business by the passing cars so you can go blow it back out again the next day. perhaps it is some warped version of job security?? yeah, I don't think so either.<br />
<br />
I have no problem with blowing debris into piles and then disposing of the pile (into a green waste container preferably). it is the whole blowing it from one spot to another that kills me.<br />
<br />
so I Googled the idea of making it illegal. wow! there are sure some blowhards out there on the subject! everything from people who think the whole thing is idiotic to a guy who blames Obama (because multiple people blowing leaves back and forth between sites creates jobs.....seriously! I'd link but don't want to give the guy anymore traffic) to people who say that it is the crazy Californians who are freaky about the environment and are all whack jobs.<br />
<br />
so it comes down to this: if you utilize a leaf blower to actually DO something productive, fine, go for it! I'd rather you use a rake.....you probably could use the exercise and think what you could spend the money you wasted on the blower and gas buying/doing/eating/whatever. if you are just blowing things from one place to another, STOP! get yourself a freakin' rake and pick the stuff up for crying out loud!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-84652262816540212542013-08-12T08:00:00.000-07:002013-08-12T08:00:06.739-07:00Year of 24 - Month (oh geez!!!) 7well........perhaps by the fact that this is being posted ELEVEN DAYS into the next month, you might think that life has been busy......and you would be right! oh wow the days have been long trying to get in training after work and still do all those fun family summer activities.<br />
<br />
<u>Scrapbook layouts: 3 (goal of 2)</u><br />
thanks to a <a href="http://www.scrapvillage.com/phpBB2/" target="_blank">ScrapVillage</a> virtual crop over the long holiday weekend! since then, NADA!<br />
<br />
<u>Operation Write Home cards: 4 (goal of 2)</u><br />
I did better than my goal, but not as good as I would have liked.<br />
<br />
<u>Scrapbook purchasing versus usage:</u><br />I don't remember buying any scrapbooking stuff. I looked......a lot......but didn't buy anything.<br />
<br />
<u>Pounds lost: possibly 2 or maybe 4 (goal of 2)</u><br />
okay, so not sure whether I was being lazy or focusing on other things.....but I didn't keep track. the scale has moved and the pants got too big and I had to buy new clothes. that is the point so all is good!<br />
<br />
<u>Dolly walks: 18 (goal of 24) </u><br />I'm going backwards here. I need to focus on that more in August.....especially since Dolly has a half marathon to do later this month! that girl needs her training runs!<br />
<br />
<u>Blog posts: 4 (goal of 2)</u><br />
another random month. I'd really love to get some book or movie reviews in here.....maybe September??<br />
<br />
<u>Books: 6</u><br />
well lookie at that! guess we know where all of my time has gone! sheesh!! <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/" target="_blank">two running books</a> and two <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/281810.Jojo_Moyes" target="_blank">Jojo Moyes</a> books in there. quite the contrast but I'd recommend all of them!<br />
<br />
11 days into August. I know I am on track with the cards, the reading, the not shopping, and hopefully the Dolly walking! we'll see soon! have a great month!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-69476755031427155992013-07-11T09:31:00.002-07:002013-07-11T09:31:31.598-07:00#winning .....no really.....here are the BIG WINNERS!so......14 entries in to my <a href="http://simplysusanslife.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-pleafollowed-by-some-giveaways-yeah.html" target="_blank">little contest</a> for free tickets! even some new people who probably have never visited my little blog.....and probably never will again (but are always welcome!)<br />
<br />
and a SUPER BIG thanks to the people who made donations to <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/da-bergs/running-with-the-bears-2013" target="_blank">Mountain Circle</a>! every little bit can make a BIG difference!! (btw, you can still make donations.....just sayin')<br />
<br />
okay, so without further rambling......the winners are:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCp6t4cX1o4JfW3G37Bl0ryBHZ56DPLK0B4yzHO7GFOTIX49bdyNM_EDKFIgqCB7EogHrjI2aJyYrZF7XdGiG-Sr1InlMfX7Ispy5rgy6QiIWH6RC9LDTgwIfP2fzUpfnBC2pjsf0O-WXF/s1600/Blog+giveaway+7-11-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCp6t4cX1o4JfW3G37Bl0ryBHZ56DPLK0B4yzHO7GFOTIX49bdyNM_EDKFIgqCB7EogHrjI2aJyYrZF7XdGiG-Sr1InlMfX7Ispy5rgy6QiIWH6RC9LDTgwIfP2fzUpfnBC2pjsf0O-WXF/s400/Blog+giveaway+7-11-13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Lori will be enjoying the Sacramento Zoo with her own little animals! (they are sweet girls.....but it had to sound funny)<br />
<br />
Jayson will be going to the State Fair!! <br />
<br />
and Anonymous (there is an email addy in the post) gets to check out the River Cats!<br />
<br />
off to contact the winners........this was fun! hope I can do more giveaways soon! Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-32702268300414867812013-07-08T08:00:00.000-07:002013-07-08T08:00:07.755-07:00mid-year resolutions? courtesy @themotherrunnerfirst.........you have 2 days to enter the <a href="http://simplysusanslife.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-pleafollowed-by-some-giveaways-yeah.html" target="_blank">GIVEAWAY</a>.....so you might want to go do that first.<br />
<br />
second.......if you recall I set out to make 2014 the <a href="http://simplysusanslife.blogspot.com/2013/01/2013-year-of-24.html" target="_blank">Year of 24</a> (dun dun dun!). it focused on a little scrapbooking (with less purchasing), a little weight loss, and a little Dolly walking. well, halfway in to the year I am doing pretty well on all accounts. Dolly isn't quite getting the 24 walks a month from ME, but she has put some serious mileage on her paws. funny, it is the scrapbooking that I am lagging the most on. probably because the focus has shifted. but that is okay too. I am still going to track my original goals (cuz I'm no quitter man!) but would like to see about tackling a new set provided buy the fun ladies over at <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/" target="_blank">Another Mother Runner.....A Virtual Aid Station</a>.<br />
<br />
third......or <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/2013/07/04/running-resolutions-running-goals/" target="_blank">13.1 to be exact</a>:<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1. <b>Run
naked</b>—no GPS, no music, no watch, no agenda—regularly. Could be once a week
or once a quarter: whatever feels possible for you and your level of anal
retentiveness. </span><br />
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<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(whew! I thought they meant without CLOTHES!) most of the time I am listening to music or a podcast. I am not so super worried about time but like to know my finished distance. however, I can see where this is coming from.</span></i></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2.
If you haven’t <b>run on a trail</b>, do so. If you have, up the ante
and try a trail race. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>I haven't. isn't <a href="http://dolphyngyrl.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cheree</a> going to be so excited when she gets that text: find me a trail race please! </i> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3.
Find at least <b>one new running route</b> from your house. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>well, really ALL running routes from my house are really NEW ones, but as I have been pretty active in looking for new ways to get the miles in, I am comfy knowing this is continually happening.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4.
Promise yourself that if your knee, foot, IT band or other vital body part is
feeling the destructive kind of pain on a run—you’re wincing or changing your
stride or gutting it out—<b>you won’t just plow forward with your training. </b>You’ll
do your best to figure out the cause, then <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK-hbu5OxPY" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">foam roll</span></a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cct7am358g" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">strengthen your hips</span></a>, or do what you need to do
until you’re not wincing, changing your stride, or gutting it out. Repeat after
us: No running-induced injury ever got better by more running.</span></div>
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<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I promise! I use my knee brace religiously. and in fact, I bought a foam roller last week, watched and bookmarked that very video and plan to work very hard to prevent injuries!</span></i></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5.
When somebody asks you if you run, simply say yes. No qualifiers. Just
this: <b>“Yes, I am a runner.”</b></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>yes mom! I am a runner! a Bad Ass Mother Runner! </i><b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6. <b>Volunteer </b>at
one race, minimum.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>already planning on volunteering at the <a href="http://www.runcim.org/" target="_blank">California International Marathon</a> and volunteered at the <a href="http://changeofpace.com/positive-energy-kids-triathlon/" target="_blank">Positive Energy Kids Triathlon</a>. made me start thinking how fun a triathlon would be! and of course Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without volunteering at the <a href="http://www.runtofeedthehungry.com/" target="_blank">Sacramento Food Bank's Run to Feed the Hungry</a>! perhaps this year I can volunteer AND run??</i></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7.
Run a race with just one goal: To <b>take it all in</b>. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>I want to say that is how I treated the <a href="http://www.baytobreakers.com/" target="_blank">Bay 2 Breakers</a>. how can you not? and seriously.....you take it ALL in whether you want to or not! but I hadn't gone there thinking I was going to do anything other than start, finish, and enjoy myself in the middle.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">8. <b>Set
a numerical goal.</b> Make it slightly ambitious, but still doable
considering your schedule and running experience: Run X times weekly or
monthly; race X times in 2013; run X miles monthly or yearly. Adding those
little numbers is (almost) as fulfilling as a post-run high.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>right after Boston, I joined a group whose goal was to do a bunch of 26.2s whether at one time or over the course of a period of time. I gave myself a week and made it even though Dolly and I had to push it on that last night. it was a little farther than the training plan but it felt good. I think that is what they mean here and I plan to keep setting various non-race related goals for myself. keeps things fun! </i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">9.
Pick one run a week, cut it short by 15 minutes and<b> spend those 15
minutes strength training</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>I'll think about it. currently I take Mondays to do strength training. this will probably tie in nicely to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RunNikeWomenSeries" target="_blank">Nike SF half</a> training program. </i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10.
If you run a marathon, don’t run at all for at least a week post race.
After a 13.1, give yourself at least two days of no pounding. And
then <b>make your runs easy-peasy, no-more-than-30-minutes for at least
three outings.</b> Your legs will thank you—and us.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>well.....I was kinda forced to after the <a href="http://www.parkwayhalf.com/" target="_blank">American River Parkway half</a> when I flew off for work......except that I managed to get in to the hotel gym twice. I figured between sitting in the conference all day after the plane ride out there I would need to get the blood flowing! maybe after <a href="https://www.firstgiving.com/team/235559" target="_blank">Running with the Bears</a>?? </i></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">11.
Whether they’re on foot or bike, <b>have your kiddos join you on a run.</b> They
set the pace and distance, of course. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>okay, this one is FUNNY!!! I realize they view "kiddos" as those cute adorable little rascals that can sit on your lap and still finger paint. both my "kiddos" are taller than me. one doesn't do ANYTHING at a pace quicker than a "too cool for school" boy and the other I have decided is going to be my biking coach for next year's triathlon. HE had to slow down for ME last week! but......he did set the distance. (however, I will state here that I am currently beating them both at the 30 Ab Challenge. gotta get SOME props!) </i></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">12. <b>Ask
a friend to run.</b> If she’s a newbie, pace her nice and slow—a run/walk
combo is a great call—and go a little longer than she thinks she can. Before
you part ways, set up specifics (time, date, place) for your next run together.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>yeah! totally done this! remember me convincing Lori to do the <a href="http://thespiritofbenny.org/" target="_blank">Spirit of Benny 10K</a>? that was her first race. she was working up to a 5K at the time! she also did the <a href="http://www.parkwayhalf.com/" target="_blank">Parkway Half</a> and will be doing the <a href="http://changeofpace.com/davis-moonlight-race/" target="_blank">Davis Moonlight Half</a>. and poor Jenn got suckered into the <a href="http://www.baytobreakers.com/" target="_blank">Bay to Breakers</a> and Davis Moonlight too. I am wondering when she is going to start ignoring my texts!</i> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">13.
On those days when you’re hit with the there’s.just.no.way.I.have.the.energy.to.run
blahs, <b>head out for half of a mile;</b> if you’re still not
feeling it, you can turn around, and you still got in one mile.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>this has already happened several times. there are days (usually every 4 weeks on the dot......) that I wanna just curl up under the quilt. THOSE are the days that this one comes in to play! and yes, a couple times I have gone out for just a mile. it's okay. </i></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.1. <b>Tell
a friend about the </b><a href="http://www.anothermotherrunner.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">another mother runner tribe</span></a>.<b> </b></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>okay....I'm telling you! I've told a couple others already.....one isn't even a mother! lol! but who can resist a great group of supportive women?</i></span><br />
<br />
so......not bad overall, right? probably helpful that I am new to all this. I think that trail run is going to be the most "off the beaten path" item for me. I am not a dirt girl. wonder if that <a href="http://www.downanddirtymudrun.com/" target="_blank">Merrell Down & Dirty Mud Run</a> Cheree made me sign up for would count as a trail run?? still shocked I signed up for that!<br />
<br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
2. If you haven’t <strong>run on a trail</strong>, do so. If you
have, up the ante and try a trail race. The vibe is so different than a
road run or race, you owe it to yourself to give it a whirl.<br />
3. Find at least <strong>one new running route</strong> from your house. (If your options are limited, at least run your regular route backwards.)<br />
4. Promise yourself that if your knee, foot, IT band or other vital
body part is feeling the destructive kind of pain on a run—you’re
wincing or changing your stride or gutting it out—<strong>you won’t just plow forward with your training.</strong>You’ll do your best to figure out the cause, then <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK-hbu5OxPY" target="_blank">foam roll</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cct7am358g" target="_blank">strengthen your hips</a>,
or do what you need to do until you’re not wincing, changing your
stride, or gutting it out. Repeat after us: No running-induced injury
ever got better by more running.<br />
5. When somebody asks you if you run, simply say yes. No
qualifiers—I’m so slow, I just started, I only do 5K’s—allowed. None.
Just this: <strong>“Yes, I am a runner.”</strong><br />
6. <strong>Volunteer </strong>at one race, minimum.<br />
7. Run a race with just one goal: To <strong>take it all in</strong>. Leave
all thoughts of numbers behind and high-five every spectator you can;
chat up your fellow runners; check out the scenery; don’t curse the
lines at the Port-a-Potties; see if you can snag an excellent finish
line pic. (And if that’s your usual M.O., for one race focus more on the
clock and yourself: What are you capable of?)<br />
8. <strong>Set a numerical goal.</strong> Make it slightly ambitious,
but still doable considering your schedule and running experience: Run X
times weekly or monthly; race X times in 2013; run X miles monthly or
yearly. Adding those little numbers is (almost) as fulfilling as a
post-run high.<br />
9. Pick one run a week, cut it short by 15 minutes and<strong> spend those 15 minutes strength training</strong>:
Lunge, squat, push-up, plank, crunch, triceps dip…you know the drill.
Better yet: if the weather is cooperating, stop your run 5 minutes from
the end, get in some strength at a park or quiet street, then finish up
the run. (Promise, nobody cares if you’re lunging down the sidewalk.) If
you want something more challenging, check out Sarah in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R40jITEdJic" target="_blank">Get Ripped Like a Mother.<br />
</a><br />
10. If you run a marathon, don’t run at all for at least a week post
race. After a 13.1, give yourself at least two days of no pounding. And
then <strong>make your runs easy-peasy, no-more-than-30-minutes for at least three outings.</strong> Your legs will thank you—and us.<br />
11. Whether they’re on foot or bike, <strong>have your kiddos join you on a run.</strong> They
set the pace and distance, of course. And you make it fun: can you get
to that stop sign? Can you sing and run at the same time? Can you run
for 30 seconds then skip for 30 seconds? Can you beat me? (If you have
to hold yourself back to let your kid win, soak it up, mother runner.
Guessing it, like most beauties of childhood, doesn’t last long enough.)<br />
12. <strong>Ask a friend to run.</strong> If she’s a newbie, pace her
nice and slow—a run/walk combo is a great call—and go a little longer
than she thinks she can. Before you part ways, set up specifics (time,
date, place) for your next run together.<br />
13. On those days when you’re hit with the there’s.just.no.way.I.have.the.energy.to.run blahs, <strong>head out for half of a mile;</strong> if you’re still not feeling it, you can turn around, and you still got in one mile.<br />
.1. <strong>Tell a friend about the <a href="http://www.anothermotherrunner.com/" target="_blank">another mother runner tribe</a>. </strong><br />
- See more at: http://anothermotherrunner.com/2013/07/04/running-resolutions-running-goals/#sthash.Cx0IqNQK.dpuf</div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-68270375069035193342013-07-02T08:00:00.000-07:002013-07-07T13:33:02.468-07:00A plea.....followed by some giveaways! (UPDATED)this is a blog in 3 parts: a plea (or request....call it what you like), a giveaway, and the rules for the giveaway.<br />
<br />
<u>THE PLEA:</u><br />
you may or may not know, but D was adopted through the foster care system. let me tell you, it is one seriously messed up system! not sure how it can possibly ever get fixed, but intelligent caring people who are adequately funded would be a start. to that end, the family is participating in a fundraising walk/run. J and I are doing the half, D is doing the 10K, R is doing a 50K - on his bike. whatever! he made up his own event! Dolly is joining us too.......weather will determine which race she does. the event is a fundraiser for a group called <a href="http://www.mountaincircle.org/" target="_blank">Mountain Circle Family Services</a>. as I have done a lot of training along the American River Parkway with the turkeys, dear, snakes, and occasionaly coyote, I am looking forward to seeing a couple of bears during their race, <a href="http://www.runningwiththebears.org/" target="_blank">Running With the Bears</a>. (please note: the race is NOT called "Running FROM the Bears......though that might improve my time?!?!?) I am also hoping for lower temps than Sacramento!<br />
<br />
so the plea........please consider making a donation to our "team" <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/da-bergs/running-with-the-bears-2013" target="_blank">HERE</a>. quick, easy, tax deductible, will make you feel good and earn you my undying gratitude! figure, it has been too hot for Starbucks so you should have an extra $5 or $10, right?? thankyouverymuch!<br />
<u><br /></u><u>THE GIVEAWAY:</u><br />
as a thank you for reading (and potentially responding to) the above plea, I present the giveaway portion of this blog!<br />
<br />
4 tickets to the <a href="http://www.bigfun.org/" target="_blank">2013 California State Fair</a><br />
- you can see me wax poetic about it <a href="http://simplysusanslife.blogspot.com/2013/06/come-to-faircalifornia-life-as-it.html" target="_blank">HERE </a> <br />
<br />
4 tickets to the <a href="http://www.milb.com/schedule/index.jsp?sid=t105" target="_blank">River Cats 2013 season</a><br />
- Senate Seats - you pick your seats & the game!<br />
<br />
4 tickets to the <a href="http://www.saczoo.org/" target="_blank">Sacramento Zoo</a><br />
- expire May 31, 2014<br />
<br />
NO DONATION is required to enter the giveaway. tickets will be mailed to you or meet-up arrangements can be made.<br />
<br />
<u>THE RULES (UPDATED):</u><br />
because what would a giveaway be without rules?<br />
all the following can be done in the same blog reply.<br />
NO DONATION is required to enter the giveaway.<br />
entries MUST be posted by midnight PST July 10, 2013. (hey, the Fair opens July 12th.....)<br />
<br />
to enter, please reply to this blog post with the answer to these questions:<br />
1. what will you eat at the State Fair or River Cats game?<br />
2. what animal will you see at the Sacramento Zoo? <br />
3. rank the prizes in order of preference. <br />
<br />
winners will be randomly drawn and prizes will be awarded in order of preference listed. I don't know how to use those fancy internet drawing things. so if you don't trust me, don't enter. sorry!<br />
<br />
whew! I'm worn out now! good luck and thank you for reading all that!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-61353135945228354042013-07-01T08:00:00.000-07:002013-07-01T08:00:00.704-07:00The Year of 24 - Month 6zoom.....that was the sound of June swooshing by! <br />
<br />
<u>Scrapbook layouts: 2 (goal of 2)</u><br />
did them at a friend's house. I still need to finish them up (titling and journaling) scrapbooking wasn't a high priority this month.<br />
<br />
<u>Operation Write Home cards: 4 (goal of 2)</u><br />
also got in a birthday and anniversary card. hey, better than I did on the layouts!<br />
<br />
<u>Scrapbook purchasing versus usage:</u><br />18 rolls of washii tape and some doily tape.....which I am using right now on a card for a card swap! score!<br />
<br />
<u>Pounds lost: 4.4 (goal of 2)</u><br />
I am doing more exercise but eating more. I have noticed a nightly pattern.....all willpower goes to bed at 7pm. sadly, I am still up a few more hours....nom nom nom!<br />
<br />
<u>Dolly walks: 20 (goal of 24) </u><br />better than May! Thursday and Friday seem to be my downfall. probably due to social obligations like baseball and exhaustion from the week......the freakin' heat hasn't been my friend either! Dolly hasn't been enjoying the hot humidity either. yesterday she lagged the entire run/walk and then came home to the air conditioning and zinged around the living room.
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<u>Blog posts: 4 (goal of 2)</u><br />
not bad. not really focusing on the blog. keeping a list of ideas.....I probably should use some of them, huh?? but I WILL have a nice special blog post tomorrow!!<br />
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<u>Books: 2</u><br />
finally finished Telegraph Avenue! that book was pure torture to read and on top of it I had to wait for it 3 times from the library to finish! also Red Velvet Cupcake Murder. am reading Run Like a Mother right now. seems the more exercise I get the less reading I get done. lol!<br />
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July's struggle is probably all going to be heat related. the weather has just been icky. I do have a half marathon in 2 weeks. a NIGHT TIME half....but it starts at 6pm so right in the worst of the heat. please cross your fingers it isn't too hot!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-54668155671417713092013-06-26T08:00:00.000-07:002013-06-26T08:00:03.104-07:00Today I am officially NOT obese!!!okay seriously...... the definition of obese is to be grossly fat or overweight. I know I am overweight but I have always had a problem with the label "obese." I do not get winded with a minimal amount of exercise. I do not require a seatbelt extender on an airline. I can fit in my movie theater space (even the older ones with the hard skinny seats). I do not wear mumus or ride around on a motorized scooter. I do not have high blood pressure (actually very good blood pressure) or high cholesterol. My weight does not interfere in my daily activities. I weigh too much. I am overweight. I am not obese. <br />
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despite my protestations......my <a href="http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm" target="_blank">BMI</a> until today was in the "obese" catagory. golly gee, now I am just considered "overweight"........doesn't that sound so much nicer?!?!?<br />
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and seriously........I would need to get down to 140 to be considered "normal weight." people......I would look sickly at 140. <br />
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but hey, apparently this health issue is no longer my fault. according to the AMA, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/19/health/ama-obesity-disease-change" target="_blank">obesity is now a disease</a>. what a crock! that is as much bologna as me being obese in the first place! while the AMA has great intentions.....better focus on the problem, more medical intervention, etc.........I just see it as an easy way for people to discard their responsibility for their own health. "hey, I can't help it.......it is a <em>disease</em>!" no it isn't.......there are medical conditions that can lead to <em>obesity</em>.....thyroid issues come to mind. and there are medical conditions <em>exacerbated </em>by obesity......can you say <a href="http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-myths/" target="_blank">diabetes</a>??? but when it comes down to it.....unless there is a chemical imbalance in your body, your weight is a direct reflection of your caloric intake and caloric output. eat less, exercise more, weigh less. (of course that is a very view simplistic)<br />
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thankfully I am not the only one who thinks this "diagnosis" is ridiculous!! #IAmNotADisease has popped up all over Twitter and <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/25/opinion/wann-obesity-disease/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn" target="_blank">even an article on CNN</a>. while I may not agree with Marilyn Wann's request to "end the war on obesity," I do think she brought up an ongoing issue for overweight people......one that will now become even more prevalent: whereas an overweight person seeks medical care for something not related to their weight but having their "medical professional" attribute it to their weight. um, no......my sinus infections will not be cured when I hit that magical 140lbs thankyouverymuch! <br />
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after all that, I read an article in the June Fitness Magazine that seemed to make sense out of all of this. <a href="http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/body/head-to-toe/fat-but-fit/" target="_blank">Can You Be Fat But Fit?</a> why, yes Virginia, yes you can! this article could have been written by my own internal thoughts and questions. despite what the scale says, if you are not on blood pressure, cholesterol, etc medications and are able to exert a reasonable amount of energy without having to take a break to catch your breath, etc, you are okay. yes you probably should still spend more time every day doing some type of exercise, but even if you do, no one can expect you to show up in a few months at the perfect weight with the perfect body. that just isn't going to happen for everyone. <br />
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like I said at the beginning, my blood work and blood pressure all tell you I am healthy. without knowing my weight and height, the doctor would proclaim me in great health. and I may not be in perfect health, but I am darn healthier than I was a few months (or years) ago. other than not being at that magical 140lbs, there is nothing wrong with my body!<br />
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so there! Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-57109857728673053522013-06-25T08:00:00.000-07:002013-06-25T08:00:03.887-07:00Come to the Fair........California, life as it should be!!!that is how the theme song for the first ever <a href="http://www.bigfun.org/" target="_blank">California State Fair</a> I ever attended went. how do I know? I can't find it on the internet anywhere, but I hear it in my head and remember being in the house we moved in to when we arrived in Sacramento.......and we only lived there one year. (a lot happened in that one year in that one house.....but perhaps I should save that for another post?)<br />
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anyway.......with living in Sacramento, going to the State Fair seems like a "must do".......and for our family that is pretty much the case. we have had season passes, attended free concerts, done sleepovers, assisted in the birthing of animals, ridden rides, eaten way too much fried food, drank some of the World's Largest Margarita, etc. good times! good times!!<br />
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a general family Fair memory is back in the day when the Fair was held in August. I would take the boys' last day of summer off and we would go to the Fair. we would be there at opening, get all you could ride wrist bands. then the boys would ride their hearts (or perhaps stomachs??) out until late afternoon when Jeff would join us. the afternoon and evening were spent looking at exhibits (with Jeff telling me every year I should enter the next year), seeing shows, and then dinner of lovely Fair foods......usually fried ones.<br />
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but the BIG memory is of the boys' obsession with wheels at the 2007 State Fair.....you know, the ones you spin and possibly win something. the boys would spot one in the distance and race to get there first. it didn't matter whose wheel it was, what they might or might not win, etc......it was just spinning that wheel!<br />
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they were even excited to spin a wheel that would require them to answer a question! (looks like Ryan has a tough question.......but he still wanted to spin that wheel!) the crazy addiction to wheels continues but nothing like that summer at the State Fair!<br />
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what are your favorite California State Fair memories? if you have been once or a dozen times, this is when you should dust them off. you can enter the <a href="http://www.bigfun.org/memories" target="_blank">California State Fair Memory & Photo Contest</a>......hey, you could be in a commercial for this year's Fair!!!<br />
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btw, tickets are on sale now. I thoroughly recommend the <a href="http://www.bigfun.org/come-to-the-fair/tickets/" target="_blank">Family Pack</a>. it is a great price even if you don't use the monorail tickets......but really, why wouldn't you? it is a nice break on a hot day where you can check out an aerial view of the Fair and maybe figure out what to see next! this year I definitely want to try the deep fried watermelon and spaghetti ice cream......the boys can help with that last one!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-53767750174241342062013-06-14T10:57:00.000-07:002013-06-14T10:57:00.696-07:00Remember when I did that half marathon???you don't? well.....probably because I never blogged about it.......even though I think I manage to fit it into an average of 50% of my conversations! I knew I should have pre-blogged so I could quickly edit after the race and get posted before I hopped on a plane for a week!<br />
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it started when I foolishly told someone I could totally do a half marathon if I could walk it and she called me on my bluff. yeah.......that half marathon! but it gets better! not only did I do the half, but hubby joined me.....and my friend <a href="http://simplysusanslife.blogspot.com/2013/03/walk-fast-susan-walk-fast.html" target="_blank">Lori</a> got suckered in again!! (I wonder why I haven't heard from her in awhile?!?!?)</div>
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well.......we did it! we pretty much stuck together for the entire walk with Lori and I stopping for a quick bathroom break before super speed walking to catch up with Jeff. while our mile times fluctuated, we averaged 16:18 minute miles. not bad! we placed in the top third of the walkers but ended a few minutes over Jeff's goal of 3:30:00 for the race. we might have been able to make it if we had been able to maintain our beginning pace (hey.....our first half......we are learning here!). </div>
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mile 11 was hard. we were sore, it was hot (got up to 90 that day), and that mile had no shade! while no one said anything horrific like "I'll never make it", we were all feeling the toll of the heat and distance. by the time we crossed the finish line, we had spent the past 10 minutes describing all of our aches and pains to each other. </div>
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but we did it and I will admit to being a little teary-eyed when we crossed the finish line! afterall, I had been thinking about that moment, focusing on that moment, for the greater part of 2 weeks. that moment dragged me out of the house on days that, gosh, I just didn't FEEL like going out. and well, because I honestly didn't think at any point in my training that I really, truly, seriously, was going to make it!</div>
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on the way home, we three stinky people stopped and got our "13.1" stickers (seriously.....yes we did! I was still wearing my bib and bling too) and grabbed Chipotles. an ice bath and recovery drink later, I was in a worn out daze.....and then headed to the airport for a 6 hour plane ride just about 12 hours later!<br />
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btw, didn't take long......I am signed up for 2 more halfs and fingers crossed to get in to a 3rd. one of the races is a fund raiser for a group that <a href="http://www.runningwiththebears.org/about-us.htm" target="_blank">supports foster youth</a>. if you are so inclined, you can make <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/da-bergs/running-with-the-bears-2013" target="_blank">a tax deductible donation to the cause here</a>! every little bit helps!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-32735024031841015562013-06-03T08:00:00.000-07:002013-06-03T08:00:04.477-07:00The Year of 24 - Month 5a day late in posting this.....or 2 days depending on when you think I was supposed to post my monthly update! I'll assume I can use the boys' birthdays as an excuse? but I don't think that is the truth. life overall has been slammed and May was no exception to that! hey, I did my first half marathon people......and then flew out of town the next day for work. <br />
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<u>Scrapbook layouts: 0 (goal of 2)</u><br />
seriously! no time to scrap! <br />
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<u>Operation Write Home cards: 5 (goal of 2)</u><br />
but only because I am in the card kit swap. (thank you <a href="http://myviewfromthebleachers.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Peggy</a> for the great kit!)<br />
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<u>Scrapbook purchasing versus usage:</u><br />
I don't recall making any purchases this past month. I haven't had TIME to shop......well for craft supplies at least!<br />
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<u>Pounds lost: 1.6 (goal of 2)</u><br />
guess this is the aftermath from being SUPER vigilant in April?!?! might also be a result of being so busy and trying to step up my workout. I think my appetite my have stepped up more than the working out has been burning off. but I am glad to see on paper that I have not been progressing. maybe it will be what I need to get on track in June?<br />
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<u>Dolly walks: 14 (goal of 24) </u><br />well.....that is what Endomondo says. and it is probably right considering I did 2 races without Dolly (American River Parkway and Bay to Breakers - forgot to mention that, didn't I? crazy last minute....it was fun and should be its own blog post) thankfully the boys......including Jeff......have been walking her too. I am not sure how it is going to go now that summer (and the 100+ heat) is here. Dolly wasn't happy on our walk yesterday and it didn't even break 90 while we were out. but I am fine with later night walks........as long as they are before my bedtime! lol!!
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<u>Blog posts: 3 (goal of 2)</u><br />
I only got 3 posts........and one was actually written in April. (please see comments about the races and working out and being busy with work.....)<br />
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<u>Books: 3</u><br />
great month for books! 3 really good books.....and a lot of magazines, to be honest! The Girls of Atomic City was a really great story (true story)......I don't know that I would have written/compiled it the way the author did, but I loved hearing about the women who worked on such a huge project without knowing what they were involved in!<br />
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June is another month.......and I am already 2 days in to it....guess I better go walk Dolly, scrapbook, make cards, read books, and find things to blog about!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-57618554554871773512013-05-07T08:00:00.000-07:002013-05-07T08:00:03.190-07:00If I were a betting man.......isn't that the phrase?!?!?<br />
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of course I am a woman......and I think betting is generally not a good idea. but that didn't keep me from joining a site called <a href="http://www.dietbet.com/" target="_blank">DietBet</a>. the premise is that having placed a bet, you will be incented to try harder to lose the weight!<br />
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in most cases it is $25 to join and as many people as want to can join a group. there are some groups with higher buy-ins......and a few specialty groups. you can win a trip to the Biggest Loser Ranch, donate water to charity, etc. all very cool! at the beginning of the month you "weigh in" and send them a photo of yourself on the scale and one of the scale showing your weight. they give you a "secret word" to help time stamp the photos. <br />
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the goal is to lose 4% of your weight in the 4 weeks. I like this! the percentage thing levels the playing field. afterall, it would be much easier for a 300 pound person to lose 10 pounds than a 190 pound person. but 4% means your weight loss goal is personalized for you based on where you are at when you start. you will also be disqualified if you lose too much weight or they find out you used unhealthy means to lose the weight (not sure how they would do that.......perhaps you shouldn't have that box of Fen-Fen laying by the scale?!?!?) the whole plan seems well thought out and I applaud whomever sat there (or walked on their treadmill) working it all out.<br />
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however........at some point in a healthy lifestyle change, weight loss is not your main goal. yes, when your BMI says you are "obese" you need to focus on bringing the numbers down. but at some point you need to start thinking about the end game. if you work on toning and gaining some muscles, you are not going to lose weight. you will be more healthy, but you will not necessarily weigh less.<br />
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THIS is why I won't join another game. sure, I still have pounds to lose. but I found that I was making some decisions that benefited me for the game (btw, I lost 5.7% of my weight during the game so this isn't a case of sour grapes......oooh! wine! lol!). but these decisions weren't what may have been the best for me in the long run. had I not been in the contest, I might have added some strength training to my schedule. looking ahead, I am signed up for another half marathon that I want to do some running in. I should have started training for it two weeks ago (but was still training for my first half!) and it includes cross training and strength training. but muscles weigh more than fat! that would hinder the weight loss.....I might LOOK better but I didn't want to lose my $25!!<br />
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see my point?? at my weight and physical condition it probably isn't really an issue. I can build muscle AND still lose weight but I don't even like the feeling that my choices might be influenced. my end game is to feel GOOD and look good......not what the scale says.Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055086334413008152.post-27209417640102764252013-05-03T08:00:00.000-07:002013-05-03T08:00:08.313-07:00#TeamHerkimer and my first guest blog post! <em>Shortly before the horror at the <a href="http://www.baa.org/" target="_blank">117th Boston Marathon</a>, a friend at the Sacramento Zoo asked me to write a guest blog post about our family’s participation in the 32nd Sacramento Zoo Zoom. <a href="http://sacramentozoo.blogspot.com/2013/05/guest-blog-teamherkimer-at-zoozoom.html" target="_blank">This is that blog post:</a></em><br />
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It all started with an off-handed comment: “Sure I could do a half marathon…….if I could walk it!” A few days later a friend sent me a link to a walking half marathon the first weekend in May <em>(aka TOMORROW!!)</em>. There was no time limit! How could I ignore that challenge? So my husband, Jeff, and I signed up and I started training. </div>
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In preparation, I knew I would want to complete a 10K, and what better than the 2013 Sacramento Zoo Zoom? We love participating in Zoo events and this would give us the experience we needed on our way to that half marathon. But, the same concern arose: time limit. I was assured that we would have at least 2 hours to walk the 6.2 miles. I could do that, right? And if we were the last people to cross the finish line, who cares? Slow but steady still completes the run! Our teenage boys both agreed to do the 5K making this a family event.</div>
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That gave me the next crazy idea. Why not have the Zoo’s tortoise as our own personal mascot? <a href="http://www.saczoo.org/page.aspx?pid=545" target="_blank">Herkimer,</a> the Desert Tortoise, is an Animal Ambassador for the Sacramento Zoo and gets to meet and mingle with zoo guests.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrI6t75JMG8vkBttS59lmmSWDp_QcfDDkaTm-98tPixwFY1E4xAvGbN4SvZWdPDoGwY6sPLmmHw4qezt_wHDEvgrSpqF1uDlXEs4W1Fi-h-b2GwDBzwPQfNOVYP7tjthdUR5HVFPPcO02/s1600/Herkimer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" lua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrI6t75JMG8vkBttS59lmmSWDp_QcfDDkaTm-98tPixwFY1E4xAvGbN4SvZWdPDoGwY6sPLmmHw4qezt_wHDEvgrSpqF1uDlXEs4W1Fi-h-b2GwDBzwPQfNOVYP7tjthdUR5HVFPPcO02/s400/Herkimer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Thus, #TeamHerkimer was born! We embraced our slow tenacity. With help from <a href="http://www.getkdm.com/" target="_blank">Kreative Design/Marketing</a> I had t-shirts made for the race including our name and team motto. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6RWvRqLkNxSOR2U3LsSQ5zPyw8w5vFWRQKGATgP0sRMQa-_FcPkfxvDK2X4dv1KcHHlo8lQ4ZrFcoMawIQWNEVnxkb2WLz2dC-0-AxI8-d_l2cnlfdjXEp9-hDCI-3sTHyW0hXKGWKXQ/s1600/TeamHerkimer2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" lua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6RWvRqLkNxSOR2U3LsSQ5zPyw8w5vFWRQKGATgP0sRMQa-_FcPkfxvDK2X4dv1KcHHlo8lQ4ZrFcoMawIQWNEVnxkb2WLz2dC-0-AxI8-d_l2cnlfdjXEp9-hDCI-3sTHyW0hXKGWKXQ/s400/TeamHerkimer2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Boy did we stand out against the turquoise run shirts! It was great! Even better was meeting our inspiration, 86-year old spunky Herkimer! He loved our shirts and team spirit! Just look how excited he is! Equally as fun were the fans #TeamHerkimer inspired along the race. Several of the more hare-like participants took a moment to high-5 us or shout out a cheer as they sped by. In fact, one of the guys in the lead complimented our motto as he lapped us to place in the top 10. Whoever he was, he totally made my day!</div>
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So how did #TeamHerkimer do? We finished the race! Out of 555 participants in the 10K, Jeff and I placed 538 and 537, respectively (he let me beat him), with an average pace of 15:48. Hubby placed last in his age group and I placed 74 out of 77 in mine. Appropriate positions for #TeamHerkimer! The boys really took the team motto to heart and finished with a 17:17 pace, both second to last in their age groups.</div>
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But #TeamHerkimer did what they set out to do and had a blast doing it! Look for us next year!</div>
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<em>I will be honest, I did not consider myself a “runner.” As my boys like to remind me, I walk fast. I walk for my health and to exercise my dog, Dolly, not for speed. I did not know when the Boston Marathon was taking place. I had runner friends who were talking about it, but the event was so far off my radar that it wasn’t until I heard about the explosion that I started paying attention. In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon, the camaraderie of the ZooZoom was even more poignant. These people didn’t know us but they showed us that the running community is a family…….a big happy, sweaty, supportive family! I may still only walk really fast but I now consider myself a part of that family, a “runner”……a really slow runner. But the running community has opened their arms to my tortoise-paced self. What more can you ask for?</em></div>
Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678156876145502772noreply@blogger.com1