Martha's So-Called Life

weekend reading

Some things for you to read while enjoying your long weekend.  I'll be working, but that's not unexpected.

Super awesome and cheap art for your house

Five habits of effective communicators

Awesome DIY wood candle holders

Why you shouldn't use your phone and your alarm clock (but I'm going to keep doing it anyway)

Toasted coconut onion rings (I'd sub coconut flour and almond milk)

Happy Weekend!

one hell of a week

As I was describing my week to a co-worker she said, "wow, you're going to have one hell of a week."  Yep.  Just a quick check in to say HI! I'm still here, but I have a lot of balls rolling and plates spinning right now so I am pretty sure I won't be writing as much as I would like.

Hopefully I will have good news to share in a couple of weeks though!

Next week is the Klondike Road Relay (10 leg overnight relay from Skagway, AK to Whitehorse, BC).  I am SO looking forward to that.  It's going to be amazing and exhausting.  I'm hoping to put together a couple of posts about that but those may have to wait until we get back.

Yesterday was also the first day of the fall semester.  Healthcare Policy and Theoretical Basis for Scientific Reasoning are the titles of my classes. Zzzzz...  Hopefully I will learn something useful!

Have a great week!

weekend reading

 

My weekend is short this week (one day off, one day on, one day off), but that doesn't mean I am going to enjoy it any less!  I just have to make the best of my one day to get max enjoyment!  Here's what I found interesting on the interent this week...enjoy!

How to fold a fitted sheet

Working from home can be aweome...if you do it right.  

Dealing with betrayal

Science is awesome...and so are black holes

 

around here

I'm not sad that August is almost over.  I'm looking forward to fall, snow, and winter!  First the geese leave (happening now!), then the tourists...and then it snows!

I have some awesome adventures coming up in the next few months.  In just under two weeks I will be embarking on the first of those adventures.  I'll be jumping in an RV with 9 people (some I know well, others I just met) and driving through Canada to Skagway, AK to then run an overnight relay through.  I.  Can't.  Wait. (PS. We have an opening on our team if anyone has 9/4 - 9/7 off.)

Pretty much September through November are going to be awesome!  In the meantime I have been distracting myself with books.  So many books.  Three trips to the library in eight days! My August book report will be up next week if you are looking for recommendations. 

Hurry up and get on with it August...I'm ready for September!!

on my run

A couple of days ago on my run I saw this guy...

He (she?) has a giant spike on one end (not sure which end it is) that is kind of scary.  I saw this the day before on my run and wasn't sure if it was part of a flower or something crawly...but the next day when I ran by the flowers were eaten and it had moved....eek!

You can see the damage it did to the fireweed in the foreground of the photo below.  

There were at least three stalks missing all their flowers.  No wonder this guy is so fat!!

kiva's raw diet update

Kiva has been enjoying her raw diet for about two months now.  She never suffered any "detox" symptoms that everyone warned about during the switch. 

We currently feed her twice a day.  Each feeding she gets about a half cup of The Honest Kitchen's Base Mix (fruits and veggies), plus just under a cup of raw meat.  

We buy Columbia River Naturals from a local vendor in a variety of flavors.

The biggest thing I have noticed is that her coat is softer.  I also think that she is a little bit leaner overall, although it's hard to tell through all her fur!  

I think she is calmer and better behaved, but JRW disagrees.  Maybe she is calmer and better behaved for me and not him because she knows he's a sucker ;)  

She certainly never snubs a meal anymore!  Let me know if you have questions...I'd be happy to answer them!

skinny raven half marathon

On Sunday I ran the Skinny Raven Half Marathon with a friend.  This was supposed to be our marathon that we switched to a half a few weeks ago.  I have to say that on Sunday morning, I was quite relieved that I only had 13 miles ahead of me, not 26.  

The race started at 9:30, which was perfect.  I met my running buddy at 9 and off to the start we went.  The plan was to run for four minutes and walk for one minute for the whole race, as it had been a few weeks since we had done a long run, and our goal was just to have a good time and finish the race.

Somewhere around the halfway point, I mentioned that I thought we would be able to finish between 2:30 and 2:40 if we could keep our pace up.  There was some skepticism related to the several large uphill stretches towards the end.  I said it was possible.  Leslie thought that if she could finish in 2:40 that would be a PR for her (she wasn't sure), so I decided that was how this was going down.

We kept up our run four, walk one for the whole race, with a couple of extra walk breaks for water stations.  I kept talking about how I couldn't believe how good I felt.  I think somewhere around mile 8 or 9 I said "I have never felt this good this far into a race before!"

We managed to keep our pace for the most part (our first half we were at 11:44/mi and by the end our average was about 12:10/mi, but we actually stopped twice, so that's pretty good), finishing in 2:40 by the official clock and 2:35 by my watch (that I stopped when we stopped).  Either way Leslie got a PR!!  

Although this race falls on the very slow end for me, I was very happy with the way I felt.  I felt strong the entire time and never really hit a wall or felt like I was going to die (which usually happens at least once a race).  I really needed that.  I have been woefully under-prepared for the last few halfs that I have run which has led to me running until I can run and then run/walking.  I think the run/walk for the whole race plan is a game changer.  

I don't know why I am so slow to come around to this idea (it's not really new), but I am now officially a believer.  I have always trained that way when working on building up mileage on my long runs, but my ratios have always been more like run 10 or 15 and walk 2-5 minutes depending on how long the run is.  I have to say though that running four minutes and walking one is perfect.  It is a short enough run that you don't have time to worry about the time before you get your walk break, and a short enough walk break that you don't decide you aren't going to start running again.  

As for the race itself it was great.  It was well organized, easy to navigate (getting to the start, parking, the course), and I had no trouble changing events a few weeks out.  There was even entertainment scattered throughout the course!  So great!  The volunteers were awesome and all the spectators were great too!  I'm looking forward to doing this race again!

weekend reading

Here are some interesting and internet reads for your weekend.  Enjoy!

I am considering jumping on the no 'poo bandwagon.   

As soon as I get around to making my own kombucha, I'm making these floats.  Yum!

What advice would you give your younger self?  

I don't have kids, but these sheets are awesome!  Jungle or glow in the dark?!?

This cat in a shark costume on a Roomba is hilarious and I'm not sure why.  

Quick, focued pilates workouts for busy days.  

one sweet world

I had something else planned to post today, but with all that's going on in the world and my own life right now, it just seemed stupid. So instead, I leave you with some words written (and sung) by someone who is better with words (and at singing) than I am.  

in my knitting queue

I haven't been doing a ton of knitting lately, but I sure have been adding projects to my queue!  

Twitstygoo Hat

Honey Sweater

Tonic Water Cowl

Robin Sweater

Green Zebra Baby Sweater

Aquae Tank

Apparently I'm on a stripe kick.  Although I think some of these would be great as solids or with some hand dyed yarn that has natural variation in it.  Guess I better get back to knitting!