Reading Update (2024 #4-6)
[4] The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction/Friendship, Hilderbrand I hadn’t read yet, audiobook
Synopsis: Hollis’s husband died in a car accident in December. It’s now summer on Nantucket and she’s still a mess. Hollis hears about a “five-star weekend” event that another widower hosted, and decides to do one herself to see if it’ll cheer her up or at least distract her. The gist is you invite a best friend from each era of your life and indulge and connect over a weekend. Hollis invites her best friend from growing up, her best friend from college, a friend from when she was raising her daughter, and a friend she’s become close to on her very popular lifestyle influencer website. She also invites her daughter, who is studying film, to capture the event on video. Of course, everyone has their own drama – including drama with each other – going on.
Review: Fun, messy, easy-to-follow drama from Hilderband. Basically, exactly what I expect/want from her!
Recommend? Yes
[5] The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros
Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, saw in Available Now section on Libby, audiobook
Synopsis: Georgia is fresh off of a very public divorce and just wants to escape to her hometown in Colorado, but finds her estranged mother in the home Georgia inherited from her great-grandmother Scarlett, attempting to sell the one manuscript Scarlett never published – the story of Scarlett’s life during WWI and her love for her first husband. How’s that for a confusing synopsis? We get the story of Georgia working with the (obviously) handsome male romance writer hired to finish the novel, and we get Scarlett’s story in the 40s in England as well.
Review: I think I should have read this with my eyes – the narrators weren’t doing it for me! This story kind of slogged along too. You know how when there’s two stories being told you sometimes have a favorite or love both? I loved neither. Ha. And the reading of the love letters between Scarlett and her boyfriend/husband were unbearably cheesy. The ending threw me for a loop and that was exciting. Not enough to redeem the whole book though.
Recommend? No
[6] Wellness by Nathan Hill
Fiction/Literary, Green Light from Knox on The Popcast, Kindle
Synopsis: Jack and Elizabeth meet in college in Chicago in the 90s and unite over escaping their upbringings and families to reinvent themselves. They quickly find their crew amongst subversive artists. Flash forward twenty years and all their friends – including themselves – have children and are escaping the city for the suburbs and the lifestyle they previously attempted to subvert. Jack and Elizabeth find themselves separately wondering who they are, and if they are living the lives they want.
Review: The writing in this book is absolutely beautiful. It’s not a book you skim. I wanted to take it all in – every thoughtful little detail. In that vein, this book is about a whole lot of things, and also, a whole lot of nothing. It’s a deep dive into the neurosis of Jack and Elizabeth (I keep wanting to write Jack and Diane, ha!) and it goes down some crazy (but mostly interesting!) rabbit holes – on the history of prairie art, social media algorithms, polyamory, placebo science, etc. And it’s somehow all connected. I loved reading it, but found the ending deeply unsatisfying. And gosh, it’s just so damn long.
Recommend? If beautifully written character driven novels are your thing, definitely yes! Otherwise no.
Birthday weekend makeup!
I was in Iowa again last weekend! I went to see my family to make up for missing the birthday party two weekends prior. While I was bummed to miss the party, I have to admit, I was excited to get my family all to myself and not have to share them with the other folks at the party! Muah ha ha. Ha ha ha.
Steven was going to come if we could fly, but the visibility had been absolutely ridiculous, so that was a no go. So I went solo and listened to audiobooks and loud music in the car. And on the way there I stopped and saw a coworker! Let’s start over though, I’m jumping right in.
On Friday I worked a few hours, then had a massage, then left to drive to Iowa around 11:30. I was concerned about feeling tired after a massage (and getting up at 4:00 am for class) but I think what really made me tired was the damn fog. I switched from my audiobook to loud music and that helped a ton.
I went a different route than I normally do (since I left from the massage) and was able to stop and see a coworker at her summer home (but in the winter, ha) in Galena, Illinois. I absolutely adore this coworker and she works from home 100% of the time and it’s always a treat to see her in person! That was a perfect pick me up.
I got to my snister’s around 6:00 and we ordered Indian food for dinner (it was my parents’ first time trying it) then got into a delicious cake she ordered for my visit.
Oh! And my mom had picked up vegan donuts for me that day too! Gah, ICON has the BEST yeast twist donuts. THE BEST.
So I fueled for Saturday’s long run with spicy Indian food, cake, and donuts. What could go wrong? (Ha, nothing did.)
On Saturday Dad came over to my snister’s and rode his bike with me while I ran 12+ miles. It was such a great run! I ran a lot faster than I do on my normal long runs. Being with people really energizes me!
The weather was great – high 30s and hardly any wind. And several of the trails had been cleared and we were able to find a safe route to run too. So glad I got to run with my Dad.
After our workout we went back to the house and had lunch. My older brother and his wife stopped by, and it was great to see them,
then Mom and Snis and I spent the afternoon shopping in downtown Cedar Falls. There was one shop I wanted to peruse, and it was so nice to just take my time with those two and know neither of them were in a rush. It was so relaxing and fun! I found several gifts for people – some to send now, and some to keep for birthdays.
High 30s in the Midwest in January = no coats
There was a moment where Snis and I considered getting ear piercings (a second lobe set for both of us) but the tattoo place we went to smelled horrible – like varnish! And it was a bit pricey. So we ditched that.
We found out the cafe had vegan treats and I got a cinnamon roll and (sort of?) shared it.
Then we shopped some more, did a Walmart pickup, and went back and made dinner (goulash) then hung out with everyone, played in the playroom,
had a Mario Kart tournament (it was the first time I’ve ever really played! I even came in first once!), and ended the evening with a Disney music dance marathon with Ella.
When you tell her to close her eyes, ha ha
We also saw the dumb RAGBRAI route announcement but more on that in another post.
On Sunday I got up and hung out with William and we painted a bit, then the rest of the family joined us.
We played a bit of Akedo,
and I hit the road just before 11:00. I wanted to get back in the daylight and have time to chill with Steven and the cats before bed! I finished my audiobook in the car and started another. The drive home was much less foggy, thankfully!
I had such a nice relaxing weekend, with a perfect mix of hanging out with everyone! I can’t wait to see them all again! (And hopefully Steven can come next time.)
Random Thoughts Thursday 439 Part 2
RTT got a bit bloated this week, so I’m breaking it into two posts! Yesterday’s was beauty, travel, and random categories, today’s is fitness, physical health, and mental health categories.
- Therapy update! My therapist found a way for us to still meet using a different platform, and that platform said they would eat the cost if insurance does not cover it. Sounds like a f*ck around and find out sort of situation, but I met with her this week and will see how it goes.
- Speaking of medical crap, I just paid off my two ER visits from 2022. I went on a $50 a month plan, since it was interest free. Feels good to have that done!
- Weight talk trigger warning: Trying to lose weight while lifting is such a mindf*ck – Am I gaining muscle? (probably) Do my clothes feel looser? (yes) Is the scale staying the same and sometimes going up? (yes) Am I eating less to lose weight? (nah) Do I feel energetic and strong? (yes). This is the first time I’ve ever lifted this much so consistently, and I need to let go of using the scale the way I was when I was only doing cardio. Work in progress! (Honestly, this could be a whole post, especially how it relates to my decision whether to run the Denver Marathon.)
- I don’t have a related photo for this post, so check out this cute new Senita bra I wore to class this week!
- The only time I remember to wear my reading glasses is when I am reading my Kindle. Otherwise, I get through a whole work day, see them sitting on my desk and think “oh yeah, those might have helped.” Ha.
Random Thoughts Thursday 439 Part 1
RTT got a bit bloated this week, so I am breaking it into two posts! Today’s is beauty, travel, and random categories, tomorrow’s is fitness, physical health, and mental health categories.
- Mani update from last week!
- Both of the German friends I’m meeting up with on our Europe trip have said their kids really want to meet me, and I am absolutely honored! How sweet that a child thinks I would be a fun hang. Not sure that is accurate, but very sweet (and I’d love to meet them!).
- I’m getting my balayage updated today! Since I’m such a n00b I had no idea what to book and booked the whole process then realized I only need something called a “single process” for touchups. Always learning. Sometimes retaining.
- I didn’t realize the tumbler I got at the WWM holiday party was a knockoff Stanley. I didn’t even know Stanleys were a thing until I’d had it for a few weeks! Then I kind of felt like a weird poser having one, and didn’t want people to think I was someone who had to have a Stanley (I have legit been using the same style of Rubbermaid water bottle for YEARS until I got this) but I really like using it. So whatever. And feeling weird didn’t stop me from getting a cute nameplate for mine when I saw the other ladies at the gym do it! Much better than the washi tape I’d put on the handle to distinguish mine.
- My brain no worky. I asked for new towels for Christmas and received them, then realized I didn’t ask for enough, so ordered more, then realized I didn’t ask for bath mats, then ordered those, then washed the ones new ones I had and went to put them in the bathroom and realized the color only goes with one of our bathrooms and I need to order a different color for the other one. So I have to exchange a lot of what I ordered. Oops.
- Also, I had to call and rework some of our Europe flights and got confused and messed up one of them and now we are stuck with a four hour layover (I wanted a shorter one) because I was confused on the phone. It costs $1000 each to shorten the layover by 1.5 hours. No thanks.
- I am absolutely loving Nathan Hill’s book Wellness but did not realize it’s sooooooooooo long! Over 600 pages! It’s taking me forever to read! My loan expired and I had to turn off the wifi on my Kindle to keep going. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Officially an old
I needed to contact my snister last Thursday to update her on our travel plans, but I was on the go and too lazy to use my fingers to type a text on my phone, so I did the unimaginable – I called her. I’m officially an old!
Well, actually, I FaceTimed her. I wouldn’t just call someone. I’m not a monster. Ha ha ha.
Photo actually from a different FaceTime
So here’s the thing, Lately (like, for the last 6+ months), I’ve been so sick of using my fingers to text or type in my phone. I’m also super hesitant to open and read long texts or emails. If I open my Instagram DMs and see I have 5 unread messages from a friend I love but who normally sends long messages? I’m not going to open it right away. Really, I’m not going to open it until I’m at a computer (and am in the right headspace) and can respond there. Texting, messaging, and emailing from the computer is definitely preferable to using my phone*.
And preferable on top of that? Seeing people’s faces. FaceTime. Using Marco Polo. I can’t believe I’m saying that about Marco Polo. When Tiff suggested she, Val, and I start using it, I thought I would hate it because I dislike watching long videos. But it turns out when it’s my friends talking I care, and pay attention for the whole video. And it feels so much better than reading a text.
It’s funny to me that what sustained and fulfilled me so many years** – mainly communicating via the written word – isn’t quite doing it anymore. And it’s definitely a me, not them, thing. I’m just so burned out on communicating that way. Sounds like I’m craving in person interactions!
*The phone has a sense of urgency, since it’s almost always near me, despite having most notifications turned off, and despite telling myself I can take however long I want to respond. The computer makes me feel more in control, like I can do things on my time.
**Especially during the pandemic. I was at the height of my Instagram use and meeting so many new people and DMing and commenting all the time! Now I hardly ever want to do that! I just want to BE.
It was cold in Iowa last weekend
So far in 2024 I’ve been focusing on rushing less, doing less, and documenting less*, and it’s been absolutely lovely. It’s been a slow and gentle start to the year, mostly because we’ve had sh*t weather and are leaving the house less. Hey, I’ll take it.
We did leave this weekend though! We drove to Ames, Iowa, for a belated Christmas celebration with Steven’s dad and brother. None of us live in Ames, but we all went to college there, and Steven’s dad has some family there, so we picked it as an in-between point.
In the spirit of less documentation, here is the only “group” photo I took this weekend.
Each of us are represented with a stocking. Ha.
We got in Friday night around the same time, unpacked the cars, then got dinner. Steven and I both slept so well that night and Saturday night that we documented the brand of mattress when we left (it’s novaform brand, not sure which one).
On Saturday I walked** to the store for groceries and a chai for me,
I think the high Saturday was 4°F
Oh! And I did my first rock hides of the year!
then we had breakfast at the Airbnb and exchanged presents. Steven, his dad, and I toured Steven’s rebuilt fraternity, then got lunch, then explored campus*** and town, then we hung out a bit with Steven’s brother back at the Airbnb before the extended family came over and hung out for the evening.
On Sunday I ran** outside. It was -1°F with a -15° windchill, but I was bundled up and felt fine! But… I also got lost and had to run through deep snow to get back to the trail and added on an extra 2.5 miles. Oops?
We checked out of our Airbnb, got breakfast, and hit the road around 10:45 am! A short but good visit!
We stopped and saw my family on the way to Ames on Friday and on the way back home Sunday. My dad’s mom was feeling unwell and it was important to me to see her Friday, then of course I had to say hi to everyone who was over at my snister’s. That was a great way to break up the 6 hour drive and made me feel a little better about missing seeing them the weekend before!
*I didn’t even post on my personal Instagram until January 19th! WHO AM I?!
**Whenever I do Myers-Briggs I always test right on the edge of I/E, and get an E, but let me tell ya, YA GIRL is sometimes exhausted after peopling all day. EXHAUSTED. That is why I start my day with a workout and time to myself. I really need it before (and after) a day of making conversation.
***I wish it hadn’t been sub zero temps so we could get out and walk campus. Someday!
Random Thoughts Thursday 438
- Yesterday I did something I haven’t since February 2021 – I ran on our treadmill! And while I was super bored, it wasn’t horrible. Woo hoo, success! I prefer to run outside, but I don’t when it’s slick out, a heavy snowstorm, or miserably cold winds (which is what we’ve had a variety of since Friday).
- The good news is I acclimated FAST to normal cold weather, and running in 11°F with little wind this morning felt completely fine (I did need to shower asap to warm up). Not saying I prefer that temperature for running, but it was fine!
- I noticed I paid much better attention to work meetings right after the holidays when I didn’t have a ton of meetings that day or lots of people chatting or emailing me during them. I felt so refreshed. Today I have eight meetings. Sigh.
- I’ve really gotten back into painting. Yay! I’m loving doing these “smeary” rocks and putting motivational messages on them. However, I haven’t hid a single rock this year! I’m burned out from hiding a rock a day last year. I will get back to it at some point!
Everyone’s welcome!
Do people still get pissy about gyms being crowded in January because of resolutioners? Probably?
My feeling is the exact opposite. I was excited for new folks to come work out at WWM at the beginning of the year. I have my best workouts when there are lots of people in class. I feed off of the energy of the room. Sometimes when I’m in a smaller class and don’t need to partner up at a station, I will ask someone if I can partner with them anyway so I push myself harder.
The holiday party! I think this photo is by Marissa-Gomez Photography. Trying to confirm.
So I was kind of bummed I didn’t meet any new people in the first couple weeks of the year! But yesterday there were FOUR new folks in class. Woo hoo! I introduced myself to them and partnered up with one. I hope they keep coming back at the rate that works for them!
Don’t drive in a whiteout
I’m sad to report I missed our youngest nephews’ joint birthday party on Saturday in Iowa. Iowa got a lot of snow, then Illinois started to get a lot of snow, then the winds picked up, then the snow stopped, but the winds kept going (and THEN the temps dropped below 0°F).
Snow Friday am (stopped in front of our mailbox)
We learned the hard way in December 2022 not to travel on the open plain highways of Iowa when strong winds are blowing snow across. There’s nothing to block the snow and it causes super scary whiteout conditions. I remember my watch kept buzzing during that trip saying “Your heart rate is elevated. Do you want to do a breathing exercise?” No, what I want is this cLoWn who has been tailing us for 30 miles to GO AWAY. Sigh.
The good news is, Iowa has an excellent 511 app that shows road conditions very clearly – including photos from the plows, so I was able to make an informed decision not to go. Again, the bad news is I didn’t go. I’m going to try to visit later this month.
I feel like I jinxed myself by writing about this trip on my Things I’m Excited About in January post. Or… it could be January in the midwest. We’ll never know.
Let’s review that list though:
- Relaxing and recharging at home ✔️
- Prioritizing sleep and healthier eating ✔️
- Going to William and Leo’s birthday party 🚫
- Running with Dad while I’m in town? There’s still hope for this, Dad! I know you’re reading!
- Quizzing Steven more from his Private Pilot 2024 Test Prep Book ✔️
- Seeing how the ISU (Iowa State University) campus has changed
- Maybe running on campus?
The only upside to not going is that I had a three-day weekend at home with no plans. See item 1: relaxing and recharging at home. On Friday afternoon I took a nap during the time I’d requested off for travel, then we had a chill evening of watching movies and painting. That nap was amazing. I’m still thinking about it.
Horrible pic of me but look at those three! Aww!
On Saturday I went to a strength workout at the gym then ran on an indoor track (at another gym). Then was busy the rest of the day with errands and chores, but Steven and I finished the night with dinner at El Famous and a video call with my family (I had left our nephews’ birthday presents in Iowa in December so we watched them open them. I’m glad I did that!).
Sunday was so damn cold the only smart thing to do was stay inside (okay, and go outside briefly to resin rocks in the garage and take rock photos). I did a few chores, a little Fake Meats work, a short walk (on the treadmill!), then painted and quizzed Steven from his test prep book the rest of the day (with movies on, naturally). I’m going to be able pass this test by the time we’re done reviewing the book!
And on Monday I had plans to repeat Saturday – strength workout then run, but I felt so off* during my strength workout that I went home and showered then went to Immediate Care (I got in right away!), and got a prescription for antibiotics (which I was able to pick up right away!), then ran, then met Steven for lunch (at El Famous AGAIN!**), then did Fake Meats work when I got home and spent the evening listening to movies and painting.
**When I told my snis we were eating there again she said “omg lol I can’t believe you guys aren’t sick of that place yet,” and so I sent her this pic with “I can’t wait to eat this exact same thing I had for dinner sat night.” Ha. I ran 10 miles yesterday then ate that. It was delicious. I could eat it again right meow.
So yeah. I intended to whine about missing the party (which was a success with the cutest decorations and food!) but say it was nice to have a little unplanned quiet at home… and you ended up with a short recap of my weekend. You’re welcome…??? Ha ha.
I mentioned I want to quit rushing around so much, and actually stop and think if the stacking of errands/chores/workouts/whatever I am doing is beneficial or making things worse for me. I’ve been scoring my days. Friday and Sunday got an A, Saturday and Monday got a C. Maybe I will report out on the scores for January at the end of the month.
*There’s like a whole other post here about how amazing our bodies are about telling us some things. I knew immediately that things were NOT okay.
Random Thoughts Thursday 437
- First! If you are a blogger, will you please tell me who your host is and if you like using them? The cost of mine is going up astronomically and I think I need to switch. TIA!
- My therapist kept asking me if my insurance policy was changing for 2024, and I told her no, the co-pay was the same, and figured that was that, BUT she looked into it THERE ARE ISSUES. If I want to keep seeing her virtually in 2024 she has to use a platform she is not in network with. So my options are 1) pay out of pocket, 2) see her in person, or 3) find a new therapist/quit therapy. I went with 3. And am disappointed and frustrated to start over but I don’t want to pay $165 a session until I meet my deductible (it’s a $20 co-pay when the therapist is in network).
- I was hesitant to try using Business Suite (Meta’s social media management program) to schedule content for the Fake Meats’s social media page because I didn’t trust it (and other reasons), but a friend told me how well it was working for them so I tried it out and lo and behold IT WORKS!!!! I can schedule a bunch of stuff and not have to get on my phone until it’s convenient for me! Woo hoo! I feel better the less time I spend on socials so this is a great discovery.
- In bad outdoor cat news: Tywin has been MIA for a week. I hope someone nice took him in.
- In good outdoor cat news: Snow Jr lets me pet him now! I gave it a try Saturday and he loves it!
- A few years ago I bought some Gore Tex cold weather running gear in size XL and was never able to use it because their XL sizing is so small. Even now it barely fits. Sigh, vanity sizing.
- Has anyone else watched Outer Range? We watched it last week and liked it.
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! 🙂
