Best of 2012: Experiences

I have been trying to figure out a good way to recap the year without being too cliche, and Lisa gave me just the idea. So, here it is, the best of 2012, in list form!

1. Becoming a better runner. This year I learned a lot about myself as a runner. I learned how to run smarter and faster and I had a great time completing many races, including my first ultra marathon.

Nike Women's Marathon

2. Spending more time with family. This year was full of family. My cousin got married, my grandma turned 80, I had wine and swam in the pond with my other grandmother Back East and I spent countless hours making food, eating food and running with Broski and the lady friend. Not to mention the normal get togethers like Christmas and Thanksgiving.  It's been a great year for family!

3. Going to Kansas City to visit Red. In March, I visited my friend in Kansas City, and we ate BBQ, lots of self serve frozen yogurt and had a great time catching up and hanging out and exploring the city.

4. A trip to Tampa for some fun in the sun. I had a great time in the Sarasota and St. Petersburg areas of Florida, where I spent lots of time on the beach reading and relaxing, as well as trying paddle boarding for the first time, going running near the beach and gorging myself on all-you-can-eat crab.

 5. Starting a new job. This has been a challenge, but a fun one. I completely switched industries, which has been hard. Nobody likes to start at the bottom again, and it has been a crazy journey, with new things coming along every day.

6. Girls day out in Berkeley. My mom came down and we went out with a few friends and my aunt and cousin for brunch, shopping and cupcake eating. It's always fun to get together with the girls, although it happens less often than I would like.

7. Living in Santa Cruz for the summer. I couldn't have asked for a better place to spend the summer. I really enjoyed being able to go the beach each day, to run with the view of the Pacific in my sights and to get to know this fun little town a lot better. While there, friends S&R came to visit and it was really fun showing them around my new home.

8. Road trip to Amherst, MA. Mr Lovely decided to go back to school and so we took a road trip to Amherst to find him some housing. The towns of Amherst and Northampton are really cute and actually reminded me a little bit of a mountain version of Santa Cruz. They are little hippie filled college towns with nice earthy vibes.

9. Hosting Lisa in San Francisco. Except for the rain, which I was a little mad about since it kind of makes it hard to stroll around the city, I had a great time hosting Lisa for a quick two days in the city. We took a trail run, went to the Castro, walked on the Golden Gate Bridge, went to the park to visit the bison and much, much more. It was fun to finally get a chance to pay her back for the excellent visit I had to Minneapolis last year.

10. Hanging with friends in Oakland. I've made a few new local friends this year and it has been nice getting to know them and some of the fun places in Oakland as well. They are all great people and Oakland has some great sights to see and places to visit. New Years Eve was spent with them and we had a great time eating dungeness crab and playing Scategories before watching the ball drop.

11. Qualifying for Boston. This was something that I really worked hard for and I was really, really happy to qualify for, and sign up for the Boston Marathon in 2013. I even had over 5 minutes to spare.

12. Going to see some great bands. I love live music, but I don't always make time to go to concerts. This year, I was lucky to see several bands, including The Kaiser Chiefs, The Killers, Of Monsters and Men, Imagine Dragons, Passion Pit, and The Shins.

13. Growing a garden. I grew stuff. Stuff that didn't die. Yes, it was exciting. And there is nothing better than a home grown tomato straight from the vine. I can't wait until next year when I can start planting again. 

14. Being in San Francisco. I love wandering around the city, and have really enjoyed the walks I have been taking a few times a week. I am enjoying getting to know little corners of the city that I never knew were there.

15. Going to baseball games. I am so glad that the Giants won the world series and I was really excited to not only be in the area for this, but to go to many of the games. Going to the games is a great way to see a fun sport and to spend time with friends and family as well.

16. Yosemite. I went to Yosemite and had a great time taking long hikes and seeing the sights again. Winter is the area is beautiful and we were lucky not to have too much snow, so we could do a lot of the higher hikes.

17. Going to Oregon with the ladies. I went to Sisters with my second family and we had a great time eating ice cream and hiking and enjoying 30 degree weather in June. We ran every day and it was great to have the snow capped mountains as a backdrop for my runs.

What have been the highlights of 2012 for you? Did you go to any concerts? Did you take any fun trips?

Best of 2012: Running

Misszippy recently did a recap of her running year here and I thought I would follow along! 

Best race experience? My favorite was probably the Skyline 50k. I started doing trail races earlier this year and I really enjoyed the experience, but the best feeling was completing 50k in my own backyard, and only coming in seconds behind Dean Karnazes.

Best run? Most of my runs on the Bay Area Ridge Trail have been awesome. There are views of the city, redwoods, eucalyptus, rolling hills, ferns and each run is different, unique and relaxing.

Best new piece of gear? I really love the Saucony Kinvaras that I won during the Find Your Strong project. They are light and fast and comfortable and I am glad to have gotten the chance to try a low heel drop shoe.

Best piece of running advice you received? Walking up the hills during a hilly ultra will really save you a lot of energy in the long run (pun intended). 

Most inspirational runner? I love seeing people who haven't run before start running and do well. My most inspirational is Broski, who went from hardly being able to run one mile to running two half marathons in one month. Others include Suz, who ran her first marathon recently, Terzah, who went from injury to marathon in a mere matter of months and Amber, who was not a runner at all, but ran a half and a 20k this year!

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?

Best of 2012: Books

This year, I made myself a goal to read at least one book a week, or 52 books. I just barely squeaked over the wire with 57 books. Some were pretty bad and there were others that were much better. Here is a list of 10 that I would recommend.

The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton : This was a fun, easy read about a woman who goes searching for her grandmother's ancestors and finds out more than she bargained for. 

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford : This book was about a Chinese boy growing up in Seattle during WWII. He has a Japanese friend, and when she gets sent to the concentration camps, he is devastated. Not only that, but he has to deal with his father's hatred of the Japanese. 

Sarah's Key - Tatiana De Rosney : About the removal of the Jews from France during WWII during the
Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, when a little girl locks her brother into a hidden closet to hide him from the Nazis. The story is written from two points of view, the little girl and a reporter in present day France, who tries to get to the bottom of what happened back in 1942.

The Other Boleyn Girl - Phillipa Gregory : This book was about the sister of Anne Boleyn, during the reign of Henry VIII. It was a great way for me to learn more about that time period while still engaging me in an interesting story.

Tisha -  Robert Specht: A true story about a young teacher in the 1920s who gets sent to a small town in Alaska to teach. She learns quickly that the divide between the whites and Indians is deep, but somehow manages to not bend to the white men's prejudices. Her struggle is moving and her courage is inspiring.

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern: This book was not about what I thought it was going to be about. It was so much better! The characters are likeable and you never know what is going to happen next. I was highly entertained by this story.

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn: This book kept me on my toes the entire time, so much so that I read it in one day! It was about a girl that goes missing and her husband gets the blame for her murder. It kept me riveted and was a quick page turner. I disliked the characters but loved the book.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower -- Stephen Chomsky : About a high school boy and his trials and tribulations and was narrated in letter form, which I find very easy to follow. 

The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood: It took me a long time to read this, but it was a very interesting tale and I am glad I finally got to it! 

You can also check out some of my favorites from 2010 and 2011. 

Have you read any (or all) of these? What were your favorite books from 2012?   

A-List Monday II: Books

This year, I joined AudrieAnne at Who’s Your Editor for a Bookmark Break Challenge. She challenged everyone to get out those old books and read them, to free the bookmarks! The challenge was that if you read more books than she did this year, you would win a trip to Aruba. Just kidding. No Aruba, but bragging rights and a spot on her page. So, thanks to her, I read a lot of books this year. So far, as of today, I have read 63 books in 2011.

I admit, not all of them have been very good. I was on the road for about half of this year, and sometimes the selection in English was nil. Thank goodness for the Kindle Reader that I downloaded on my iPhone! Yes, I read many a book on that tiny screen. But many were good. Luckily later this year, I actually put on my big girl pants and got a library card of my very own. And then there was no stopping me! Below is a list of a few of them that I really liked.

The Help - Kathryn Stockett:I know it’s a book that everyone liked, so it’s not news to anyone, but there is a reason it was popular. It was easy to read and speaks of a time and place that were controversial and fascinating. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be a black person in the south in the 60s. Or ever really. This book tells a very difficult but heartwarming story.

My Korean Deli - Ben Ryder Howe:A white man and his Korean wife, who are currently living with her family in New York, decide to all pool their money together to buy and run a deli in Brooklyn. It is a fun story about the trials and tribulations of dealing with his mother in law (and other in-laws), dealing with his wife, living with her family and attempting to run a convenience store in New York. (review HERE)

Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts: Although I actually thought the author was a bit of a blowhard, I liked this book. It tells of an Australian escaped convict who goes to India and lives in the slums of Bombay and becomes a drug dealer, mafia member and eventually a Mujaheddinguerrilla. Some of it seems a little far-fetched and you are always wondering what is real, but it’s full of adventure and an inside look into India that I sure as heck didn’t see when I was there! It gets points on interestingness.

The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows: Try saying that one five times fast! Set in World War II, this book talks about life on Guernsey Island, which is one of the Channel Islands between England and France. It tells of a small village who survives Nazi occupation by starting a book club, named the Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society (interesting fact: they did not have flour so they had to make pie crusts from potato peels).

The Postmistress - Sarah Blake:Also set in WWII, this book is told from the view point of several people. One is a radio broadcaster who is living in England during the war and broadcasting from the front. She sees a lot of things that most people would not be able to handle and then tells the story over the radio (with Edward Murrow). One of the other players is a postmistress in Cape Cod who decides to withhold someone’s mail from them for their own safety and peace of mind. It is an interesting story and you really get a good feel of what it was like, especially from the radio broadcaster’s story.

The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak:I guess I am on a WWII kick, because this one is also set in WWII in Germany. It is told about a little girl who goes to live with a family during the war. She loves to read and she uses books to get through a very terrible time. At first I didn’t like the storyteller; it is told from the voice of Death, but I warmed up to it a little ways into the book. It’s a sad book; it may make you cry, but it’s a very good story.

Surviving the Extremes – Dr. Kenneth Kamler: This book was very informative. Dr. Kamler talks about what happens to your body when you go into extreme conditions, such as high altitude, underwater diving, and extreme cold and extreme heat. I found it very interesting. Not only does he tell a little story, but he puts things in layman’s terms so everyone can understand them. It made me really appreciate my body and everything working together to help keep me alive. I also have a better understanding of why I always have to pee so much when I get into high altitudes!

The Paris Wife - Paula McClain: I am not a fan of Hemingway, but this story, told from the viewpoint of his first wife, was interesting and illuminating. I am still not really a fan of him; he seems like a self-absorbed drunk to me, but I am probably going to read A Moveable Feast now, just so I can see what the same time period in his life was like.

Here are a “few” more that I think are worth recommending:

Blink - Malcolm Gladwell

Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Islands - LM Montgomery (classic)

With No One as a Witness - Elizabeth George (mystery)

The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest - Steig Larsson

Sea of Glory - Nathaniel Philbrick (historical, but not boring)

Forrest Gump - Winston Groom (Different than the movie! Still good though!)

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (a classic!)

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (fun, quick read!)

Room - Emma Donoghue (about a boy stuck in a room with his mother all his life)

The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein (told from the POV of a dog)

So, what’s the plan for 2012!? I think that I will try to read at least a book a week, which would be a goal of 52 books. I also have a lot of books on my shelf that I need to read before buying any new ones. So, it’s a two-fold goal à a book a week and at least one a month has to be one from my dusty shelf (the others will most likely be from the library). So it’s a 52 and 12 in 2012, to go along with my 12 in 2012 Fitness Goal (get ready, there will be more 12 themed goals later!)

What was your favorite book that you read this year? Even though my shelf is full, I am always looking for recommendations! Do you have any goals for 2012? Are you going to join in on any 12 in 2012 goal lists?

Re-Re-Re-Read Me!

One of the bloggers I follow, Hula Seventy, did a list project and one of her lists really inspired me. What books can you read over and over? My list is below.

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith (one of my all time favorites)
A little girl who loves to read, growing up in Brooklyn with an alcoholic father who spends all the money for food on booze and a hardworking mother who puts up with it, she somehow rises above. Plus she reads all the books in the library, one by one. My hero.

2. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Although it switches back and forth a little, I was still able to follow the story of a little girl who finds a naked time traveler in her father's field. Enough said. 

3. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (I've still never seen the play -- it's on my Life To-Do List)
France. The Revolution. A man goes to jail for stealing a loaf of bread and some candlesticks. He turns out to not be a bad guy after all.

4. Capitan Correlli's Mandolin - Louis de Berniers
Greece. WWII. A native Greek girl from a small island meets a rouge Italian during the Italian occupation. . Plus this book has my name in it. See if you can find it.

5. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
Goblins, Hobbits, Dragons, Greed, Courage, Friendship and more. You know what this book is about.  (I can't wait to see what Jackson does with the movie)

6. Anne Frank, The Diary of A Young Girl - Anne Frank
The Netherlands. WWII. The diary of a young Jewish girl hidden from the Germans during the Nazi occupation.

7. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
This book is about so many sisters and much silliness, but you love them and by the end you will wish they were part of your family.

8. To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
A book about a young girl living in the south talks about race and inequality but in a way that is not offensive. She also addresses courage and understanding.

9. The Stolen Child - Keith Donohue
A child gets stolen by hobgoblins and learns to adapt to his new family. In his place, a fake child is left with his original family. Years later, their paths intersect again.

10. Wicked - Gregory McGuire
The Wizard of Oz, but instead of from Dorothy's perspective, you see things through the eyes of the Wicked Witch of the West. In the end, you hate Dorthy and her little dog and are friends with the witch. I love how he twisted the classic version into something different. 

You can find these and more on my favorites shelf on Goodreads! Also check out my Bookshelf Page to see where I stand in this years Bookmark Break Challenge!

What books can you read over and over? What is your absolute most favorite book of all time?

(PS I actually wrote 80% of this post about a year ago. Do you ever start an idea, save it as a draft and then come back to it later?)