A little short
When I got back from my Sunday bike ride I was telling Steven it was my longest of the year so far—just over 34 miles!
He asked me how long our RAGBRAI ride will be. I told him I didn’t remember, but I was thinking about 50 miles, so I was getting pretty close with my training!
Then I remembered to look at the course Monday.
And I was wrong.
It’s 62.5 miles. Which means it will probably be closer to 67 or 70 (not because it’s measured wrong, but because we often start before the start then ride past the finish).
ANYWAY. I’m not actually that close with training, oops.
At least I figured it out now. And still have a few more rides (um, 3?!) before the event!
(I warned Dad in case he too had made up a number in his head. He hadn’t. 😂)
Reading Update (2025 #55-57)
[55] My Favorite Bad Decision (The Favorites #1) by Elizabeth O’Roark
Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, saw on Kindle U, Kindle
Synopsis: When Kit shows up for a group climb of Mount Kilimanjaro, the last person she expects to see is Miller West—her sister’s “one who got away” ex from ten years ago that Kit couldn’t stand. Kit is beyond annoyed. But as the days go on, she finds it harder to despise him when he keeps showing up for her… which is the exact opposite of her boyfriend back in the states.
Review: What a strange, strange story—one that tries too hard to be profound and layered. Kit could be interesting in the sense that her story is a chance to peer into how the 1% live—she’s the ultra-privileged daughter of a model and a media mogul. She works for her father but dreams of being a doctor, and even made it pretty far in med school but dropped out (for a mysterious reason that’s revealed later). So she’s smart. She’s also sassy and her and Miller banter back and forth, which is fun. But I just was not buying this connection they made 10 years ago. The story didn’t sell it to me. And this isn’t even letting the fact that he dated and slept with her sister bother me (which a lot of people on Goodreads couldn’t get past). And her status and the ridiculous things her family and boyfriend did (remember, she has a boyfriend!) became less amusing and more “is anyone really like this?” Meh.
Recommend? No
[56] The Perfect Couple (Nantucket #3) by Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, third in series, Audio
Synopsis: The body of the to-be maid of honor is found in the harbor just hours before a high-society wedding in Nantucket. The entire wedding party is under suspicion. As the police interview the wedding party and guests, many secrets unravel.
Review: More rich people behaving badly—exactly what I expect from Hilderbrand. This was entertaining, even though I guessed what happened about a third from the end. And you could totally read this as a standalone.
I have some complaints though. I feel like Hildebrand hates women. Maybe that’s too harsh. She writes them of superficial caricatures of how I know real women to behave. Who knows though, maybe this is how women behave in Nantucket, where all her books are set.
Complaint 2: are we still calling women “chunky” in 2018? Maybe. It just rubs wrong.
Complaint 3: this one is on me—the bride develops a lisp while wedding planning and I listened to this on audio, and it made me bonkers. I am an asshole.
Recommend? Sure! Despite my complaints is an easy summer read
[57] The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
Fiction / Literary, Green Light from Knox on The Popcast, audio
Synopsis: When Sara returns home from a trip, she’s detained by a government agency that claims her dreams predict she’ll harm her husband. Sent to a mysterious facility with other women flagged as future criminals, she must navigate shifting rules and mounting uncertainty. As her confinement stretches on, she becomes more rebellious and tries to take what little control of her fate she can.
Review: This is really well written and interesting but it made me feel anxious and upset. The idea that she is being held for something she never did just feels like… something that could actually happen, KWIM? And that all this data is being collected from multiple sources to score your risk factor… also feels like something that could happen soon. It made me feel uneasy. And a book that makes me feel things, even if I don’t want to, is a good book! I’m just leaning more toward good feelings now (which is why I am also struggling with Careless People). I am reading to escape and I did not with this book.
Recommend? Yes if you’re in the mood!
Random Thoughts Thursday 504
- We went out for ice cream Friday night and a father and son ended up sitting at our table and we had a lovely conversation and exchanged numbers. What a nice surprise to make a new friend!
- It’s been so damn hot I finally broke down and bought a bunch of new dresses. I found three styles I mostly liked and then got several colors in each style. My summer work wardrobe is set! I’ve been getting a lot of compliments at work which makes me feel nice!
- Speaking of the heat, I had a weird reaction last Saturday where my left cheek was swollen most of the day. Like I could see it (and feel it lol). I was like… “am I having a stroke?” (A legit risk since I am on blood thinners.) We confirmed I was not having a stroke. Probably a reaction to the disgusting 96 degree day and the facial I had two days earlier. It was less swollen Sunday and fine on Monday.
- It’s been constant farewells to my work colleagues over the last 5 months. I’d been handling it okay enough, but a close teammate of mine left Monday and I was all up in my feels. I work with amazing people that I really like so… it’s been tough. I’ve been burying my feelings deep and just gaslighting myself through each day and I wonder when all that is going to boil over.
- Here’s my new mani!
Reading Update (2025 #52-54)
[52] We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, heard about from Kerrie, Audio
Synopsis: Charlie and Eve are fixing-up an old house in the middle of nowhere. When Eve is home alone, the home’s former residents unexpectedly show up, and she agrees to let them look around. Their visit quickly spirals into a surreal nightmare. Strange occurrences, a missing child, and a ghostly presence begin to unravel Eve’s sense of reality.
Review: Gosh, this is hard to review. This story was so creepy and engaging. I was really into listening to it, and dying to find out what was going on. But there were so many confusing unexplained loose ends that it just fell apart for me and left me baffled. It would be great for a bookclub—to discuss and see what everyone else made of it. I talked about it with the gym mate who told me about it, to see what we could figure out together (not much! ha!).
Recommend? Maybe…?
[53] Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn
Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, saw in a bookstore, Kindle
Synopsis: Scottie Price tells a little white lie about being married to impress her boss—only to be sent to couples counseling with the boss’s husband. Desperate, she recruits Wilder Wells, her best friend’s improv-loving brother, to play the part. But when they’re roped into a weeklong marriage retreat with her coworkers, pretending to be in love starts to feel a little too real.
Review: I had no idea what this book was about—I kept noticing it when I walked past the bookstore in the train station and decided to read it. When I started it and realized it had a fake husband premise I rolled my eyes but then… BUT THEN! The chemistry between these two! Their bickering! I was laughing out loud at so much of it! Then it got really deep… and steamy. I loved it. What a gem. One of my fave romance reads in a while.
Recommend? Yes!
[54] Silver Elite by Dani Francis
Fiction / Romance / Science Fiction, green light from Jamie on The Popcast, Audio
Synopsis: In a world where psychic abilities mean a death sentence, Wren Darlington has survived by hiding her powers and aiding a rebel group from the shadows. But when she’s captured and forced to train within the enemy’s elite military program, she sees a chance to sabotage them from within. The mission grows even more complicated when she finds herself drawn to her commanding officer, Cross Redden—her greatest threat and unexpected temptation, and the evil general’s son.
Review: I don’t feel like this book is doing anything “new”—young adult with forbidden powers, captured by the enemy and forced to hide who she is while going through an intense training program and falling for her superior. This is like… a romantasy trope? That I apparently LOVE! Ha! This was great on audio and would be amazing on Graphic Audio. Wren is strong, sassy, fearless, wreckless (gawd, something she does at the end of the book made me so mad), and very easy to root for. I loved her relationship with Cross, and with the friends she meets in the the training program. The dystopian world she lives in was built at an appropriate pace (which I always appreciate with this kind of book), and the characters were easy to follow and remember. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one!
Recommend? Yes
Random Thoughts Thursday 503
- Steven was out of town Friday–Tuesday for work/to see family and friend, and I asked him if he wanted me to send him pics throughout the day. He said yes, so I blew his phone up with random pics of the cats, what I was doing, what I was eating, and injuries caused by his yard equipment trying to kill me. It was fun for me to look back at my camera roll and see my day so fully documented! (Jury is still out on if it was fun for him ha ha ha)
- Since I am super cool, I tracked his flight on the way there and back, and even saw him fly back from my office in the city on Tuesday.
- Speaking of that trip, he had me pick up Garrett Popcorn from the city to bring to his business associates and I realized that was the first time I’ve ever purchased that Chicago staple!
- Another first time (nice segue, right?)—my cycling glasses broke and I got some of the Goodr ones to try and like them. Yay!
- I did a 25 mile ride on Sunday and was very mindful to continually push my shoulders down. It helped so much and I didn’t have excruciating pain this week. AND! Since I have today off for a holiday I was able to get a massage this morning (then I went to do facial, color + cut—treat yo self!).
- I have this draft post of little things to share about my work life but it just hasn’t felt right yet. I am not in a place where I want to give it any thought when I am not there. So it’s been odd. My days are extremely chaotic (and sometimes traumatic) and I am just focused and mostly shut off from the world, then I go home and try to protect my peace and shut myself off even more. I am not a very good friend right meow.
Okay but how did it get me TWICE
Every time I go to my INR appointment to check the rate at which my blood is clotting, they ask me a slew of questions. And one of them is “Do you have any new bruising?”
I always answer “Yes, but I know what it’s from!” Meaning, we don’t need to worry about this. It’s not a surprise or of unknown origin.
IT’S BECAUSE THINGS JUMP OUT AT ME!
Case in point.
What the f*ck is this thing.
More importantly, why does it have these sharp metal pieces sticking out of it?!
I ran into it not once, but twice.
Hence the glove for protection.
I’m such a mess.
Reading Update (2025 #49-51)
[49] Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
Fiction / Women, saw in “Available Now,” Audio
Synopsis: On a domestic Australian flight, passengers are stunned when a mysterious woman—soon dubbed “The Death Lady”—predicts exactly how and when each of them will die. Some laugh it off, but when her predictions start coming true, some of the passengers become panicked.
Review: I really liked the premise of this and the writing was strong. Moriarty did a great job weaving all the stories together and keeping them distinct, while still including the Death Lady’s entire backstory (this book is 500+ pages, ugh). As I was listening though, I quickly realized I wanted the book to be something completely different than it was. I wanted more of a sci-fi leaning, and so much of the focus being on her backstory wasn’t doing it for me. Also, the way the Death Lady told her story and talked to the reader annoyed me. So, yeah.
Recommend? No
[50] Sawyer (Lucky River Ranch #3) by Jessica Peterson
Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, third in series, Kindle
Synopsis: After a sizzling one-night stand during a girls’ weekend, newly divorced single mom Ava is stunned to discover her cowboy fling—Sawyer—is now her new neighbor in Hartsville. With their young daughters forming fast friendships and the undeniable chemistry between them, what was supposed to be a fun memory quickly turns into something deeper. Ava must decide if she can trust again or risk getting hurt all over.
Review: I was into this story from the get-go, first, because both characters are so likeable, and second, because it jumps right in to them meeting and hooking up. None of this waiting around for it bs! Then when they meet again in Hartsville, they don’t make it weird—they talk about it, like two adults. There is some drama with Ava’s a-hole ex, and a big moment at the end (kind of a twist on the dark moment?) but I just loved that this two single-parent romance kind of up-ended the romance trope and made it its own thing about still being your own person after you have kids, asking for help and accepting it, and opening communicating what you want in a relationship. Applause! (Random dig though—the “pretty girl” nickname Sawyer gave Ava was so cringe).
Recommend? Yes
[51] The Castaways (Nantucket #2) by Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, second in series, Audio
Synopsis: When Greg and Tess MacAvoy set sail off Nantucket to celebrate their anniversary, they hope to leave behind the strain of recent rumors and marital tension. But when their boat is found capsized and they are both presumed drowned, their sudden death shocks their circle of close friends. As the six remaining friends try to make sense of the tragedy, long-buried secrets and unresolved tensions surface, forcing them to confront not only what happened that day on the water—but also the truths they’ve been avoiding in their own lives.
Review: This is another “I just needed something to listen to” book. I love a messy drama, but this one took a minute (and by minute I mean couple hours) to follow because there were eight main characters and Hildebrand jumped right in with them and would list all their names off and who was sitting by who and hanging out with who and I would pause it and be like “does any of this matter? Should I be following this?” Kind of annoying. This was published in 2009 and feels dated, like many of Hilderbrand’s book from this era. I can usually look past it, but it bugged me more with this one. And then, the drama… it was spicy, but also a bit meh? I say all that, but know I will listen to the next in the series just so I have something to listen to as a I get ready to commute, commute, workout, etc. I have lots of time to listen.
Recommend? No
Random Thoughts Thursday 502
- We went to our first baseball game of the season on Sunday (Padres @ Brewers) with Rachel and her husband! I always have a great time whenever I see her!
- Steven had two of his Cessna 182 flying lessons this week! It’s been so fun hearing about what’s different vs the Cessna 172. The 182 is a lot faster, and some of the checklists (especially landing) have more steps. So, less time to do more! I remember when he was training in the 172 and felt that way, but then he did it so many times and got so good at it that time started to feel like it was slowing down at landing. I know that will happen with the 182 as well.
- Ugh, since Wednesday last week my left upper shoulder/back has been in so much pain when I wake up. It’s really affecting my mood in the morning. I wonder if it’s from my bike ride. I took a break from riding last weekend but I really need to get back to training! I’d usually get a massage for this type of thing but that doesn’t work for my schedule anymore (without taking a whole day off work or finding a new massage therapist in the city).
- I went to the gym this morning (and it didn’t aggravate my shoulder/back, yay!), which means I packed my work outfit to change into later. The blouse I put in to wear is one I recently sized up in, meaning I have a L and XL at home… and I bet you can guess which one I grabbed. The L. Oops. I won’t make that mistake again.
- I have reached peak cat lady. The veterinarian was in need of a female cat to spay (for learning purposes) and they asked me if I had one that needed it. Ha! I don’t. They said they know I sometimes bring in strays to be fixed and wanted to check, since it would be $FREE. That’s really kind they thought of me. It made me miss Penny, who was already spayed, but still. We’ve been doing so much in the yard lately and I know Penny would have loved following us around.
- And on a not sad note, I love my new mani so much! It’s definitely an all-time fave. I’ve been getting lots of compliments.
Spectating the Timmerman Flour Drop
We spectated the Timmerman Airport (Milwaukee) Flour Drop on Saturday—what a fun event!
First, getting there. We took off at 8:52, with two Cessna 172s in front of us, and a Diamond and Bristell behind us. The randomness of when the airport is “busy” always amuses me. There’s probably some name for this sort of (perceived?) phenomenon.
It was so hazy out from all the Canadian wildfire smoke. The sky looked clear-ish from the ground but once we were a few hundred feet up in the air we really saw the haze. I mean, duh, but I thought it had cleared up a bit since earlier in the week.
This was my first time flying in that amount of haze. On previous flights, I’d been purposefully relying less on ForeFlight (iPad flying app) for air traffic in favor of using my eyeballs and the windows, but I leaned back in on it a bit on this flight due to visibility (until WiFi disconnected when we were 10 miles from our destination airport, naturally).
The 172 that left at the same time as us was on a parallel course for most of the flight but eventually went west when we turned east. And… these are the details where I lose most of you. Just kidding! I know no one made it this far.
We landed and parked in front of the FBO (fixed base operator) and hung out and attended the safety briefing at 10 am. We were there to spectate, not participate, but wanted to get an idea of what to expect so we can participate next year.
It was straightforward—there was a big target painted on one of the grass landing strips to try to hit with your bag of flour. Every participant got two small (1 lb?) bags of flours to drop over two attempts (one each flyover). Each plane had to have a pilot and a passenger, and only the passenger was allowed to drop the flour. You had to remain 150’ AGL and maintain a reasonable cruise speed. There would be a maximum of three planes in the traffic pattern at a time.
It would be cool if I had a picture of the target, or a bag drop, right? Ha. We stayed on the ramp, sat under the wing,
and had binoculars to watch, so I don’t have any cool up close pics. They did post some pics and a video on their Facebook page though! So check that out!
We got the handheld radio out to listen to ATC (air traffic control) and enjoyed watching everyone. Even though we were far away, I got a pretty good sense of where they were on the target since white flour exploded when it hit the ground!
At one point ATC came on to warn everyone about birds over the airfield, and then I heard popping noises and realized someone from the airport was driving a truck around setting off… fireworks?… to scare away the birds! I’d never seen this before. It did make them leave though.
Some people came over and talked to us, which was nice (we were being a bit anti-social, sitting under the wing, but we wanted to be in the shade).
The first person said “You two look like you know what’s going on!” which I thought was really sweet. So we explained what we heard in the briefing, and which way the planes would go and how they’d enter the pattern to do the drop, etc. She also asked some questions about becoming a pilot, saying her husband might be interested.
While we were talking with her the first plane came back from their drop and I noticed there were two kids in the back of the plane and I said “Oh they took two kids up! I bet they had a blast!” Then she said those were her kids and husband and she was going to go up too (you could pay for a ride… those must have all been commercial pilots on those flight since private pilots can’t accept money for a ride, but only a pro-rata share of the cost to fly 🤓).
I told her that I became interested in planes at the same age as her kids because I got to fly in a small plane like that. And she was like “And look where you are now!” Really nice lady.
Later another person came by and asked if their kid could see our (rented) plane and of course Steven offered for the kid to sit in the pilot’s seat! That was super cute.
There were a lot of kids there and it made my heart happy to see the joy of aviation shared with such a young community! (Okay, totally sidetracked but speaking of young, when we were leaving our home airport that morning one of the pilots was having the kid with them talk to ATC… I mean, if a kid gets to, I should get to try, right?! I was telling someone at work that I did comms a few weeks ago and they were like “is that allowed?!” And I was like, “yes, people have their kids talk to ATC.” Case in point.)
One of the amazing parts of this event is everyone got free food! From a delicious taco truck! IT WAS AMAZING! That’s so generous and we were really appreciative.
We ended up chatting more with the lady we talked to earlier, then to the guy who parked his plane next to us. He has a sports license and an experimental plane and was telling us all about the benefits of his plane and the fun trips he does trailering it around the country and flying over cool scenery. It’s fun to talk to other pilots and hear their tips and stories.
We had our plane reservation until 2:00 so we had to do our briefing and preflight around 1:00 to take off at 1:30 and missed the awards. But I think we saw all the drops!
There was more haze on the flight back.
We flew the same way there and back as we did last time, avoiding the Delta and Charlie airspace right by Timmerman. I didn’t do an amazing job navigating us. I need to learn how to plug that route into the Garmin. We always manage though.
Our home airport was super busy when we were 15 miles out. So busy that the METAR (weather report) didn’t change over when it normally does. You’re supposed to have the most current weather info when you call 10 miles out so Steven diverted off our path to give it a few more minutes but it never updated. So we called in with the old info (and it updated after we landed, like 10+ mins later than normal. ATC does the recording so them being too busy doing actual ATC to record it makes sense!). Steven said next time he’ll just call in with whatever was current right before his call.
This was such a fun, well-run event, and I’m so glad the airport saw my original post about visiting their airport and told me about it. We will definitely be back next year! And we’ll spectate the Spot Landing Contest they have in September. And we saw a flyer for a STOL (short takeoff and landing) competition at another nearby airport in July we definitely want to go to! We love watching videos of STOL planes and can’t wait to see a bunch of them in person.
Reading Update (2025 #46-48)
[46] Honor Code (Blackthorn Security #2) by Gemma Ford
Romance / Military Fiction, second in series, Kindle
Synopsis: Environmental scientist Ellie thought her new job on an oil rig would be a dream, but strange data and a near-fatal “accident” suggest something far more sinister. Luckily Phoenix—a brooding ex-Navy SEAL tasked with protecting the rig—is there.
Review: Ha. The excitement and constant action that entertained me in the first book in the series just felt ridiculous and cliche in this one, especially when paired with Phoenix’s “I’m not good enough for her, especially with the atrocious things I’ve done” mindset. I also had a hard time believing the setup. Meh.
Recommend? Nah
[47] A Summer Affair (Nantucket #1) by Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction / Women, saw on “Available Now”, Audio
Synopsis: Claire has a hard time saying no—so of course she ends up co-chairing Nantucket’s biggest social event, promising to convince her childhood best friend (now a megastar singer) to perform for free, crafting something special in her glass shop for the auction, and still managing a bustling household with four kids. As she works on the event, she’s in close contact with the charming billionaire Lock Dixon, and they end up falling for each other. Even though they are both married.
Review: Aww Elin, it’s been a minute! Your books are always drama, drama, drama, and this one did not disappoint! I mean Claire and Lock disappointed me. What a horrible decision that went on for away too long! But it was fun to listen to all the fallout and just be like WhAt ArE yOu ThInKiNg?!
Recommend? Sure, if you’re into that kind of drama
[48] Woman on the Verge: A Novel by Kim Hooper
Fiction / Women, saw my friend Kim (the author!) post it was on Amazon First Reads for June, Kindle
Synopsis: Nicole, Katrina, and Rose are three women struggling with the unspoken burdens of motherhood. Nicole is a modern-day mom stretched thin by toddlers, a strained marriage, and aging parents. Katrina is tempted to chase desire after a flirtation, only to face unexpected consequences. And in the 1980s, Rose quietly chronicles her frustrations and dreams in a secret diary. As their stories unexpectedly intersect, each woman must confront what she truly wants—and whether it’s worth risking everything to find it.
Review: The writing in this book is absolutely stunning—so immersive and emotionally sharp. I felt like I was right there with Nicole, experiencing every ounce of her pain, frustration, and longing. Her journey felt so raw and real, and the twists along the way were not only surprising but incredibly clever. A beautifully crafted and thought-provoking read.
Recommend? Definitely!
Hi! I’m Kim, a 40-something-year-old living in northeastern Illinois with my husband Steven, and our cats, Khaleesi, Apollo, Starbuck, and Eddard aka Ned. My current main hobbies are running, painting rocks, flying, reading, and eating. I follow a vegan lifestyle and work in an account management role. I write about a variety of topics and consider this a “life” blog – a place I can share anything that’s on my mind. Please visit the “About” page to get a better idea of who I am! 🙂
