Author: ekkarn

How I Ended Up Reading Five Books this Week!!

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How I Ended Up Reading Five Books this Week 

Last week my wife and I had a discussion about how many books you can read at one time. The discussion arose because I had said that one of my co-workers had joked the other day,  he was reading two books at the same time. He of course knows I read more than one book at a time regularly. Anyway, he said he was reading Michael Crichton’s The Lost World and a nonfiction book about World War. The following day, he commented that Black Jack Pershing was fighting a losing battle in The Lost World!

Anyway, my wife says she can only read one book at a time. The reason is she gets caught up in a book and does little else until she finishes the book!  As he result, while she reads faster than I do, she doesn’t read many books. The reason is, if she read as much as I do, she’d literally get nothing else done.

My Path to Reading Five Books at One Time

So here is how I ended up reading five books at once. As this week unfolded, I thought I was was reading a couple of books. Actually though, as I was straightening up last night I realized I am I fact at least 26% through five books!! So how did that happen

Book One – The Absent One 


The first book I started reading among those five books was The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen.  It is the second book in the Departmebt Q series from Adler-Olsen. And while I zipped through the first book The Keeper of Lost Causes and loved it, this one just hasn’t hooked me yet.

So I put it down and stared at my bookshelves. There I spied Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indridason.  I thought “you know I love his books and I haven’t read one in a long while”. So I took it down and read it.Use of Force Becomes Book Two

After finishing it I was tempted to pick up The Absent One again. However, I looked at my shelves,again, and saw Use of Force  by Brad Thor.  Now I read many of the early Scott Hovarth series from Thor but I haven’t read any in years. Anyway, I picked it up and started reading. Now I was reading two books.

Elevator Pitch is Book Three and Why Cities Lose Book Four

Then I saw Linwood Barclay’s latest book Elevator Pitch was released last month. So I went to the library website and requested it. Surprisingly there was not a lot of requests for the book ahead of me and it came in within days. Of course once I picked it up, I had to start it, consequently, I was now reading three books!!

While I was at the library picking up Elevator Potch, I checked to see if another book I had been reading Why Cities Lose was checked in. Sure enough it was. I was a little over halfway finished it when I had to return it. Since I have read just a little of it since I have rechecked it out, I am reading it now. So that makes four books.

 

Resurrection Pass one of the five books I'm readingResurrection Pass Becomes Book Five

 

Finally, the other day I was in Dollar General and I checked their sale paperbacks. They had gotten some new books in so I checked them out. I bought two: Dick Wolf’s The Execution A Jeremy Fisk novel and Resurrection Pass by Kurt Anderson. Wolf is an author I’ve heard of but never read and Kurt Anderson I don’t know. Both books had over a three star rating on Goodreads. The Execution’s rating was 3.86 and Resurrection Pass’s was 3.46.

Anyway, the other day I started Resurrection Pass and while it’s not great, it has hooked me and the pages are flying by pretty quickly!

So there you have it and while I have t finished any of the five yet I hope to get through them before the end of the month!

I guess the question is -Does this happen to anyone else, or is it just me???

P.S. There are also six more books I have checked out of the library sitting on my bookshelves!! So good bye I need to get cracking those books!!

 

 

 

A Newly Designed Workout Starts My Day!

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So I think over the last few months I think I’ve slipped a little as far as my diet and exercise regimes are concerned. I think part of the reason is I believe the pollen season has been a little longer than usual. I only noticed a drop in the pollen levels within the last week. As I am writing this I just checked the pollen levels for the week. Today is moderate but low for the rest of the week yeah!

A New Workout Design Starts With Dance-Cardio

Anyway, this morning I changed up my routine. Rather than due Dance-Cardio with weights and bands and other exercise equipment I decided start with 13 minutes of dance-cardio.

Then Some Kundalini and Abs
I followed with a routine that starts with three basic Kundalini spinal warm-ups. Then I did three or four exercises targeting abs and legs. The soundtrack for this routine is a song using the Sikh Mul Mantra. Sung by Snatam Kaur. The Mul Mantra

The Mul Mantra, the words first spoken by the spiritual master Guru Nanak after enlightenment, literally translates as the “Root Mantra,” or the mantra from which all other mantras in the Kundalini Yoga tradition are built. It contains the core, essential truth of creation, and its vibration is so powerful that it can change your fate and help you rewrite your destiny. Read More

Hatha Yoga and Native American Flute Follow

The song is just a hair over 7 minutes long. Next I transitioned into a short yoga routine. The soundtrack was from Flutist Ann Licater. I used the song “Angels from Within” from the album Invitation From Within

Meditation with the World’s Most Relaxing Song Ends the Workout

The exercise set concluded with an 8 minute meditation. The music for the meditation was Weightless Part 1 from Marconi Union. It…. According to a marketing study conducted by Dr. David Lewis-Hodgson, the most relaxing song in the world is Weightless, by ambient band Marconi Union. The song was produced by the band in collaboration with the British Academy of Sound Therapy.Nov 15, 2016 Read More is considered by some to be the most relaxing song in the world

The total time for the workout was approximately 34 minutes. And although I only burned 181 calories during the workout, I do believe it got my day off to a great start. Now it will be up to the Eagles to keep my mood positive!
Here is the soundtrack ….

Desperate Creed Another Winner from Alex Kava

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Desperate Creed – Ryder Creed #5 – Alex Kava

Today, in addition to running this morning, I also finished my 40th book of the year: Desperate Creed by Alex Kava, the fifth installment in her Ryder Creed series.

I became a fan of Kava’s writing back in June 2003 when I picked up her debut, A Perfect Evil. By September of that year, I’d read all the Maggie O’Dell novels available at the time. Since then, I’ve read all but one of the twelve books in the Maggie O’Dell series.

In 2015, Kava introduced Ryder Creed in Breaking Creed. Ryder is a former Marine who now trains and handles K9 search-and-rescue dogs. That book chronicled his first meeting with Maggie O’Dell, and Desperate Creed marks the fifth time the two have appeared together.

A Different Kind of Threat

In her Author’s Notes, Kava says:

“With every new book, I try to cover something different — human trafficking, the bird flu, contamination of our foods, or the everyday struggles of our veterans. For the Ryder series, I’m always looking for new ways to show off the numerous talents of scent detection dogs. For Desperate Creed, I wanted to concentrate on how amazing scent detection dogs are in finding victims after natural disasters when every moment counts.”

That’s exactly what makes Desperate Creed stand out — it’s not just about the human danger, but also the life-saving work these dogs perform in the aftermath of disaster.

About Desperate Creed

In this installment, Ryder and his dogs are in Alabama, assisting in the search for bodies after a deadly tornado.

Meanwhile, Frankie — a lifelong friend of Ryder’s partner Hannah — witnesses the murder of a coworker via a cell phone video. The coworker and a friend had hacked into the computers of a major U.S. cereal manufacturer and uncovered information that could threaten a major international deal.

As a favor to Hannah, Maggie agrees to meet Frankie at a restaurant in Alabama. But soon, both a tornado and a hitman are heading directly toward Maggie, Frankie, and Ryder. Which one will cause the most damage? And can they survive the wrath of both man and nature?

The Bottom Line

I read both the Ryder Creed and Maggie O’Dell series not only for the strong, suspense-driven plots but also for the way Kava has developed her characters over time. Both Ryder and Maggie have endured personal tragedies that have shaped them and made them stronger.

For Ryder, it’s the disappearance of his younger sister from a Florida rest stop — a loss that drove him to create his K9 search-and-rescue business. This thread runs throughout the series and adds depth to his character.

While Desperate Creed works as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the earlier books first to fully appreciate the relationships and backstories.

So check out Desperate Creed — and as for me, I’m on to book #6, Hidden Creed, to see what Ryder and Maggie face next.

Explore More About Alex Kava:
Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Wikipedia

A Beautiful Corpse – Christi Daugherty

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A Beautiful Corpse – Christi Daugherty (Book #2 – Harper McClain)

 

A Beautiful Corpse is the second book in Christi Daugherty’s series featuring newspaper crime reporter Harper McClain. I read the first book in the series The Echo Killing earlier this year. Both were really, really good. In both books the murders that form the core of the book have a connection to Harper. In The Echo Killing the murder eerily resembles her mother’s unsolved murder. While in A Beautiful Corpse the victim Naomi Scott a law student tends bar in an establishment that Harper frequents and where her best friend works.

When Naomi is murdered in a part of town away from her home. She had left her shift late and appeared to be upset. The first suspect is Naomi’s current boyfriend, but soon two other suspects emerge. First the owner of the bar who had stalked a previous female employee and Naomi’s ex-boyfriend the son of the city’s powerful former District Attorney. Can Harper unravel the mystery, while she deals with her own mystery?

Harper’s mystery had its origins in The Echo Killing when her was broken into and ransacked A message RUN was left for Harper. Now a year later someone has been breaking into Harper’s house! What’s happening??

Give Me a Sleuth That is Not a Policeman or PI

I always like mysteries where the main sleuth is not a private detective or policeman. Two of my favorite series featured Brady Coyne a lawyer and then the Doc Adams books. Doc was a dentist!! A reporter who covers murders is perfect for me! Christi Daugherty has done a great job of creating a believable character in Harper McClain. A well she should because she began covering murders when she was twenty-two years old. She even worked in Savannah the settinh for the Harper McClain books!

Like most books Harper is not alone she has a supporting cast of likable characters The cast includes her photographer Myles, her boss Emma Baxter the newspaper editor Dells. And finally her best friend Bonnie and love interest Detective Luke Walker. It’s a great mix of characters.

Bottom Line – Rating 4 Stars (Really Liked It)

The bottom line is that A Beautiful Corpse was a page-turning great read. And like book 1 left me waiting for book 2. I’m reay for Book 3! Issues still need resolving!!

Book 25 or 2019

Links for Further Exploration

Author’s Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

 

The Kerry Kearney Band Make a Struggling Run Better!

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Yesterday  was a A+ day of exercising. I started the day off with a cardio-dance routine. I added some resistance band,kettle Bell, light weights and some calisthenics. The workout was. 22 minutes long and I burned.209 calories. About a half hour later I ran. The soundtrack was Black from the Kerry Kearney Band   Oh I believe my pre-run cool down included a 22 minute meditation!  Later in the day I did another shorter meditation. Finally, last night I did any full 28-minute nightly yoga routine.

The Run

Back to the run. I decided on a short 3.1 mile run. When I started I felt a little off just not getting into the flow of the run quite right. So much so that I contemplated stopping if I didn’t start to feel better.

While I never felt super throughout the rest of the run I did finish it and even had a little kick at the end Here are the details.

Total Miles:3.15 Total Time:31:21 Pace:9:55
Splits. Mile 1.9:57 Mile 2.9:54 Mile 3: 10:00
0.16: 9:25
Avg BPM:136 Peak BPM 157 Cals Burned:379

Throughout day I did two more 20 minute meditations.And I ended the day with my full 28-minute Yoga routine!

The Soundtrack  – Black – Kerry Kearney Band

The Soundtrack for the run was Black form the Kerry Kearney Band. I knew from the moment I heard the slide guitar on the opening track “Pretty Baby” I knew I was going to like this album. Of course then Kenny changed it up and the second song was an acoustic slide guitar number, But the raging guitar came back in third track”Creole Woman” On this track the piano of  David Bennett Cohen  stood out  And the good vibes I got from this album continued for the rest of the album. On this track the piano of  David Bennett Cohen  stood out

The only problem I had with this album was it was too short – only 27 minutes..

About the Kerry Kearney Band

I have never listened to the blues guitar of Kerry Kearney and I came away very impressed. It appears that the blues fans on Long Island and New York have also been impressed over the years. From his website…

Kerry was voted “Best Guitarist of 1999” by the LI Voice and “Bluesman of the Year 2004” by the LI Blues Society. He is also the recipient of the prestigious Long Island Sound Award (L.I.S.A.) from the LI Music Hall of Fame and most recently, in 2013, he and his band mates were each inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame.

Although Kerry is new to me he toured nationally with the likes of the Allman Brothers Band and Dickey Betts, and has performed with such contemporaries as Sonny Landreth and Robert Randolf. Kerry and his band have shared the stage with the great BB King at the NYCB Westbury Theater and at the Paramount Theater in Huntington, NY, as well as Robert Cray with the Blind Boys of Alabama and The Blues Brothers starring Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi.

I must admit that the title of Kerry’s 2001 release Welcome to the Psychedelta was one of the first things that caught my eyes on the first visit to Spotify to check out his music. Kerry “Psychedelta”, is his own brand containing an upbeat mix of American Blues & Roots, created from writing and performing on the circuit for over 40 years. And it’s just to my liking. Here’s the  Kerry Kearney Band lineup:

Kerry Kearney (guitars, vocals)
Mario Staiano (drums)
Gerry Sorrentino (bass)

Featured Guest Members:
David Bennett Cohen (keyboards)
Nydia Liberty Mata (percussion)

What?? Smokehouse Serenade is on Spotify??

Okay  so color me stupid!  Kerry’s new album Smokehouse Serenade is number 46 on the Roots Music Report bBlues Chart. It was that album that sent me to Spotify to look for the Kerry Kearney Band. That’s where I found Black and the band’s other releases. What I didn’t find was Smokehouse Serenade. Here’s where the stupid comes in. What U didn’t do was search for the album title. If I did I would have found it. It was listed under Kerry Kearney only, no Band! Oh well, now I have something to look forward to!!! Hey, I have the soundtrack for tomorrow’s run anyway!

Links for the Further Exploration of the Music of The Kerry Kearney  Band

Artist’s Website

Facebook

Reverberation

Youtube

Here’s one of my favorite tracks from Black, “ Goin’ to the Mardi Gras”

The Current – Tim Johnston -Book 19 of 2019

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The Current by Tim Johnston

The Current by Tim Johnston begins with a tragedy. Audrey Sutter is coming home from college to visit her dying father. Her friend Caroline Price offers to give her a ride. Tragedy strikes on a snowy night. The girls stop for gas and to use the rest room. Leaving the rest room they  are attacked by two men. They fight them off and escape only to end up off the road at the edge of the.   River. After a stranger asks if they are ok .Soon another vehicle hits their car sending it into the frozen river!

Audrey is rescued  but not Caroline. And the thoughts of the town turn toward the time ten years earlier when 19-year-old Holly Burke perished in the same river.

Now three families must relive that time. Gordon Burke grapples with the death of his daughter. While he relives the pain he felt when her murdered Danny Young was set free. Danny and his family must deal with the fact that everyone thinks you are the murderer. While you really can’t remember what helped. On the night of her death. And Audrey Sutter must face the case that her father the town Sheriff couldn’t solve! Can Audrey, Gordon and Danny unravel the mystery that intertwines their lives. Not only for themselves but for the girls in the river.

The Current is the second book I have read by Tim Johnston  . The first one was Descent. I liked Descent a little better than The Current. I thought it was a little more suspenseful and had more action. While I enjoyed The Current there were times when I thought about giving up on the book. Things just didn’t unravel the way I thought they would. I kept thinking that there would be a greater connection beyond just the river.

A Revised Rating?

When I rated The Current on Goodreads I gave it 4 stars out of 5. However, the more I think about the book I think I’d rather give it about a 3.25 or 3.5. For me the book just lacked something and I’m really not sure what it was

Final Thoughts About The Current

I think The Current would appeal more to those readers who prefer analyzing the hows and why of character actions above the final resolutions of any mystery. I’m still wondering what really happened moments before Charlotte’s car went into the river. But then again like life there are many unanswered questions which haunt all our lives. Some of them are even connected. Hmm??

I found this quote about The Current when I was reading about it at IndieBound.org. The highligthed portion echoes my sentiments from above

“Tim Johnston’s brand of storytelling is a curious hybrid of conventional crime fiction and observation of human nature that demands attention. In The Current, Johnston goes beyond the sensational and asks relevant questions when tragedy strikes, addressing real topics that come with the loss of a loved one and the questions that follow a horrific crime. As with Johnston’s previous novel, Descent, his latest concludes with a wallop you will not see coming.”
— Javier Ramirez, The Book Table, Oak Park, IL

See and Read More at  IndieBound.org

Links for the Further Exploration of the Books of Tim Johnston

Author’s Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

 

 

 

 

A Good 5K Made Better By Killin’It Live by Tommy Castro

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Yesterday was Day 3 of the Drive for 5 challenge and  it was a good day. The day started with a short morning dance-cardio with Kettle Bell and Resistance bands added. That was followed by a 3.16 mile run.

Wednesdays are usually a non-running day but I couldn’t decide whether I would run in the early morning or early afternoon and finally didn’t run either time. Yesterday I decided I had to go early and the important part was I did!

The Run

I  added a few exercises to my morning routine on Tuesday which left my legs hurting. You know the good hurting.not the bad! Anyway when I started my run I did’t feel very good . So I told myself time didn’t matter the important thing was just that you were running.

After a 10:08 first mile I started to feel better. The next two miles went by in 10:03 min/mile and 10:02 min/mile pace respectively. And I had a good kick over the last 0.16 mile. My final average pace was 10:00 min/mile. A pace that please this old man!

Here are the details

Total Distance 3.16 miles Total Time:31:40 Avg Pace: 10:00

Avg HR 134 bpm Peak HR 154

Calories Burned: 385

The Soundtrack – Kickin’ It Live  – Tommy Castro

The soundtrack for the run was blues artist Tommy Castro’s latest release Kickin’It Live. Both Tommy and his guitar sounded great in the album. It will move into my blues music rotation over the next several weeks. Tommy deserves his own page on this siteSo I better get to making those pages!!

I really enjoyed Killin’It Live. Throughout the run I was able to come back to the music and Tommy’s guitar and great rhythm section kept me going. Here’s what Living Blues’ Henry Carrigan, Jr. wrote about the album

Killin’ It Live captures Tommy Castro And The Painkillers at their very best. Turn up the volume and play this album loud! This album delivers sizzling, gritty blues and rock. You can feel the band’s energy blowing through the speakers…and every song kills it. There’s a party going on. Make It Back To Memphis is a backbone slipper, propelling us out of our seats. Shimmering, downright funky vibes. Every song lives up to the high-flying promise of the opener. Funk-fueled blues rockers drenched with Castro’s soul-shaking, stinging, pure and crisp lead runs, which pierce the heart, driving home it’s power and staccato beauty. Shimmering and swampy…bright and funky…slow-burning and low-down…fluid, jet-fueled solos. Read More

Links For The Further Exploration of the Music of Tommy Castro and the Painkillers

Artist Website
Facebook
Spotify
Twitter

The day ended with my nightly yoga routine. Last week there very several nights where that was not the case. Boo me!

So there were a few more tracks left on Killin’It Live when I finished my run. I listened to them on my coffee run (in the  car) to Wawa. The final track was Buddy Miles’ song “Them Changes” which has been a personal favorite for a long time! So here are two favorites Tommy Castro and Mike Zito performing the song.

A Reboot of Me, Myself Music and Mysteries!

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A Reboot of Me, Myself Music and Mysteries!

Hopefully, I can Do It Better This Time!

 

So as I start this post iI feel like a mix between Siddhartha and Prodigal son, someone who has gone away to look for greener pastures only. Only when he returns he sees that where he was where he should have stayed all along. I went off to find greener pastures on the Internet creating a myriad of blogs but the traffic on this blog appears to be still pretty good. It is certainly better than other blogs I have created. As a result I am starting today a 90-day Me,Myself and Mysteries (MM&M) Challenge. It’s a challenge to revise, revamp and improve this site.

One way the ways I think I will reestablish this site is to repost. The seems like a good idea to reorganize the site. It also will make me review music that I’ve listened to and books I’ve read with the idea it may lead me to new books and music by the authors and musicians who created the works.

Revisiting Caleb Stine

 

To find an example of this I went back to the music I wrote about in April of 2011. The first musician I wrote about that month was a singer-songwriter from Baltimore, Maryland Caleb Stine. The album listened to back them was his 2010 release I Wasn’t Built For A Life Like This. I enjoyed the album and there were a couple of standout tracks on the album. “My Service Isn’t Needed Anymore” was my favorite track on the album. You can read what I wrote about the album here

Anyway, I went to Spotify to see if Caleb has released any more albums. What I found was he has only released one album since 2011. Moon is the title of the album. So I gave it a quick listen and some of the songs sound very interesting. So I’ll put the album in my rotation and give it a few more listens and let you know more about it!

The bottom line is that I will be challenged to revamp and reinvigorate this blog. My methods will be writing new posts but I also will be revisiting older posts to remember books and albums I liked and then search for new works by those authors and musicians. Since some of you still visit this site and my=aybe new folks are too, I hope you stay with me!!

Now I have to post this and then go for a run! So what will be the soundtrack? I have a lot of good music to choose from so I’ll let you know later today!!

The Disappearing – Lori Roy – Edgar Worthy!

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The Disappearing – Lori Roy

Lori Roy’s first novel Bent Road was published in 2011. In 2012 it won an Edgar Award for best first novel. Lori’s third book Let Me Die in His Footsteps was published in 2015. It won an Edgar for Best Novel in 2016. That win made Lori thee first woman to win An Edgar Allen Poe Award for both  Best First Novel and Best Novel. She’s only the third person to do it overall!

Her latest release The Disappearing was released last year to rave reviews. After finishing the book the other day I’m ready to join that group who have  raved about the book. While it’s not the type of book I usually read I truly enjoyed the book.

About The Disappearing

The Disappearing tells the story of Lane Fielding ,who after twenty years away, has returned to her hometown in Florida. Lane had fled her hometown partially to escape from her father’s sins as the former director of an infamous boys school. The sins included.severely beating and maybe killing boys who were sent there. Lane also fled to escape her own past!

The story opens with the disappearance of a Florida State  coed who had been working at the Fielding Plantation. This disappearance is eerily similar to Lane’s own disappearance. And when Lane’s daughter Annalee disappears the Fielding family’s lives are turned upside down. Could it be revenge for all their pasts sins?

Praise for The Disappearing 

Ok so I can tell you how much I liked the book, but authors Lisa Unger and Michael Koryta. can tell you better than I can.

As dark  and as atmospheric as a northern Florida summer night The Disappearing is Lori Roy at the top of her game. Her shimmering tale is at the heart a compelling mystery. But it is also a deep meditation on family and the secrets and lies that can twist through our lives like a strangler fig. The powerful sense of place and a haunting cast of characters linger long after the book is closed. If you haven’t read Lori Roy,  now is the time – Lisa Unger

From:Michael Koryta

Lori Roy has been on my must-read list since her debut. There’s a reason she’s already won two Edgar awards-exemplary plotting, clever twist, and compelling characters-but for me it is her voice that holds the most power she writes with an ingenius whispering menace and a masterful understanding of the way the past works on the present, and on the human heart. The Disappearing is her finest work to date.

The bottom line is The Disappearing is a great read . So Check It Out! As for me I can’t wait until June when Lori’s new book Gone Too Long will be released!

Links for Further Exploration of the Books of Lori Roy

Author’s Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Amazon

 

Catching Up to Move Forward! Let’s Go!

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Ok so I guess the best way to start over may just be to recap what has been happening over the last month or so. On e of the things that has kept me from posting is that my laptop keyboard wad not working properly. Several of the keys were not working including the y and r keys. You never know how many times you use a letter until it’s not there anymore. And believe me I use a lot of Rs and needing to use the on-screen keyboard each time you write an R is a pain. Anyway, a week or so ago I replaced the keyboard and now everything is working. So now what else has been happening.

Let’s Catch Up on Running, Yoga….

The last  post I wrote about running was on the 17th of February. Since then I only ran one more time on the 24th due to cold weather and maybe even some snow. In March though I have been doing a little better. I have rum 5 times. I ran three times last week. Those runs were two 3.1 mile runs and the other (this past Sunday) was a 5.25 mile run my longest run in a long, long  time. My overall pace for most runs has been hovering around 10 minutes per mile. Hopefully, now that it’s spring I can keep up running twice during the week and then one longer run on the weekend. As I have written previously one of my goals this year is to run several 5K road races.

Most days my morning workout is a 20-35 Dance-Cardio (i.e. jumping around in time with the music) routine. Lately, the soundtrack has been a playlist of the music of Credence Clearwater Revival. During the routine I always workout with light weights, various bands and sometimes a jump rope to various songs. I typically burn anywhere from 200 to 400 calories each workout.

On the days that I work at Target I do a short yoga routine and a short meditation. I also have been doing a 30-minute Yoga routine almost every night. I believe that this routine has gotten rid of several little aches and pains.Occasionally, I have done a new yoga routine on a non-Target workday morning. The routines were taken from back issues of Yoga Journal magazines. Recently I decided I would create a notebook of the routines, cutting them out of the old magazines and putting them in a three-ring binder. Then I can refer back to them to do the routine again. b

.and Diet….

I have also been doing pretty well with my diet. I’ve been incorporating a salad in my weekday dinners. Typically it’s a Asian Mix Chopped Salad with cabbage, carrots etc. I’ve been adding cucumbers, radishes, and Feta Cheese. The dressing has been Kraft’s EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). According to the book Genius Foods EVOO is one of the most important genius foods.

I have also been having a breakfast smoothie with fresh banana, strawberries, and blueberries. Mixing in some yogurt, frozen pineapple and cherries! On colder days and work days I’ve been having oatmeal with added raisins, walnuts and blueberries.

While I have been using the Instant Pot,I still think that I can still do more with it

Reading…

Yesterday I finished the fourteenth (14) book I have read this year. So far I haven’t written about very many of them. That has got to change. What I need to do is figure out a way to write about a bunch of them together. I know I can do January and February reads but maybe there’s a way to tie several together. So stay tuned.

…..and Music

I wrote a while back that I have been listening to a lot more music from my music library over the last two months. While that is true, I also have been listening to some new music. Two recently released New Age albums Running Away from Timothy Wenzel and Cappadocia from Jeff Johnson and Phil Keaggy have both been excellent soundtracks for both my morning and evening yoga routines.

Several other albums have been the soundtracks for runs. Off the top of my head I know I’ve listened to new albums from Rhapsody of Fire, Walter Trout and John MayalI. None of which I have written anything about.

In Conclusion: Let’s Move Forward

Concluding I’d just like to say that over the last few months I keep trying to think about how I can make this blog new and more interesting. Well one sure way to not make it interesting is to not post anything! Duh! So I think I’ll just jump right back in and write about my dull life. At least though by writing about my exploits I am forced to do something i.e., run, read, try a new yoga routine or cook a new meal. I got back into running by carving out time to run on Tuesday, Thursday and one weekend day..

Maybe I need to do the same thing for writing. I need to schedule a time to write and stick to the schedule!! I’ll try if you read!! Thanks!!


Oliver, Zoe And Logan a reason to move forward

Here are three reasons to move forward! A reason to stay healthy and active. My grandchildren. Left to Right Oliver, Logan and Zoe. While I wouldn’t want it any other way babysitting Logan and Zoe two to three days a week cuts into my time to write posts! But guess what, they come first and if I want to write, I have to work around them!!