Book Report: Miles, Mystery & Mayhem

A couple nights ago I finished reading Miles, Mystery & Mayhem, the next omnibus in the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. This was my favorite omnibus of the series so far!

Unlike the other two books, this one hooked me in right away. The three chronicles in this omnibus were Cetaganda, Ethan of Athos, and the short story "Labyrinth." Also unlike the other two books, the different parts of this book were unrelated (at least so far). The second story in particular introduced completely new main characters. All three contained mysteries to be solved and kept my attention all the way through.

We're leaving for Montana via Canada with John's parents on Tuesday. I'm really looking forward to lots of time to read on the drive. I have a bunch of e-books loaded on my Nook plus a couple of actual books...and lots and lots of magazines that I'm behind on.

Title: Miles, Mystery & Mayhem
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Science fiction
Pages: 556
Stars (Out of 5): ****

Race Report: BTN Big10K (and 5K)

Saturday John and I ran the BTN Big10K (and 5K), a race bringing fans of the Big Ten Conference together. I did the 10K and John did the 5K. I ran this race two years ago and really wanted to make it a yearly thing but we were on vacation in French Polynesia this weekend last year.

The race started and finished near Soldier Field which provided a great start, finish, and Fan Fest area. Plus, it was just a 25ish minute walk from home which is a nice way to warm up before a race.

The weather was predicted to be warm and humid so I tried to hydrate a little extra on Friday. I carried my little hand held water bottle with me during the race. I also decided not to run with my Garmin and run by feel instead. I was hot just walking to the start line so I knew it was going to be brutal.

We started out by going under McCormick Place, then continued south along Lake Shore Drive until about Mile 3 when we crossed over to the Lakefront Trail. Racing on the trail is always a little hazardous as the trail remains open for everyone to use. But, the crowd had thinned out enough by then that there weren't any major issues.

A unique part of this race is that they have a slip 'n' slide on the course. I thought it was at Mile 4 but it was much closer to Mile 5 so that was a little disappointing...I was waiting and waiting for it! Also, there wasn't enough water on it when I slid so I didn't go very far. Oh well. It was still fun!

I didn't mind running without my Garmin. I felt like I started out a little too fast but now that I'm reviewing my data from Strava, it doesn't look like that's actually the case. My mile splits were 9:23, 9:20, 9:22, 9:25, 9:50 (slip 'n' slide), and 8:50. (These could be a little off due to losing GPS signal while under McCormick Place at both the beginning and end of the race.)

However, not having my Garmin meant that I only had the mile markers to tell me how much progress I had made. Mile 4 especially felt really long! Also, it felt like there was too much space between the first and second aid stations. I didn't refill my water bottle at the first one but was empty for awhile before the second one. Then, I filled up again at the third one!

I don't think I've ever been so hot after a race! The cold towels at the finish line felt great...as did the ice cold Gatorade. I drank one bottle of Gatorade while waiting for John to finish (I missed him actually finishing even though I was watching the finish line...fail!) and another one while we wandered around the post-race party.

It was fun to see the NCAA West Regional Champions basketball trophy as well as hold Paul Bunyan's ax again. But, the lines for the beer and sausages were too long so we didn't wait. It was just too hot and we were ready to go home.

 

Overall it was a very fun race. However, I think they have some work to do to make sure everyone gets the post-race goodies!

Distance: 10K
Time: 59:27
Cost: $51.99 for the 10K, $41.99 for the 5K
Pros: Close to home, great team-specific tech shirts, nice medals
Cons: Weather, lines too long for post-race food/beer
Would I run it again?: Definitely!

Unexplained infertility

John and I have been trying to conceive since January 2013. Infertility is the inability to conceive after trying for at least a year. In February 2014, I had lab tests done and everything came back normal. In May 2014, John had his checkup and things were fine. Our doctors assured us that we should be able to conceive. We decided to keep trying.

In December 2014, we decided we had had enough with just trying and began to pursue the more invasive tests and procedures. In January, I had an HSG which was completely normal. After trying for a few more months without success, we decided to see a Fertility and Reproductive Medicine specialist.

Dr. Robins reassured us that both of our workups looked perfectly fine. We have what is called unexplained infertility. (Reassuring but also frustrating.) The first approach, one he described as at a third-grade level, is to increase the number of available eggs and sperm. To do this, I'll take Clomid, an oral medicine, for 5 days each cycle to increase the number of eggs produced, and then get another medicine as an injection to induce ovulation at the right time. Then, we'll do what's called intrauterine insemination (along with traditional methods) to increase the likelihood of fertilization.

But, before we could start, our insurance needed to approve it. So, while I was really hoping to start this process in June, we had to wait until early July to get the go-ahead from the insurance company.

In any case, it was good timing. My first visit was Monday morning. Since these things can happen any day of the week, the clinic is open for "monitoring" from 7-8 AM on Monday through Friday and 8-9 AM on Saturdays and Sundays. So, I got up at 5:30 AM to make it there by 7 AM. I was greeted by a line of at least a dozen women when I got off the elevator on the 24th floor. I was so surprised by this! Even though I have some friends who also had difficulty conceiving, I've felt so alone through this process. At times it feels like everyone is getting pregnant but me. (I'm so happy for those who are pregnant...but a little jealous too.) Just being in that line and in the waiting room with so many other women that morning made me feel so much better.

The nurse told me twice that it usually takes 3 or 4 cycles of this regimen so I'm not getting my hopes up just yet...but the process has begun!

Family reunion

The last two weeks or so were absolutely wonderful...busy and a little crazy but absolutely wonderful! My dad turned 65 on July 5th. My mom and I wanted to make it special for him. In addition, Laura, our former exchange student from Costa Rica, wanted to visit in early July. So, we decided to invite all our former exchange students home for a reunion. Ale and her family and Laura and her husband were able to come but Maria was not. The five of us (Mom, Dad, Ale, Laura and I) had not been together since Laura's and my high school graduation in May 2002.

The last time we were all together, May 2002

Ale, Carlos, and their three kids, Carlos Alberto (3), Santiago (2), and Camila (9 months) arrived in Chicago late on Saturday, June 27th. John and I spent Sunday and Monday showing them around Chicago. We went to the Chicago Children's Museum and explored the rest of Navy Pier, saw the bean and the rest of Millennium, Maggie Daley, and Grant Parks including the Buckingham Fountain, went to the Shedd Aquarium, showed them our apartment, and had Lou Malnati's pizza and Goose Island 312 beer. We did a lot considering it takes a bit longer to get out the door and on your way with three little ones!

 

 

 

I had never met Carlos or the kids before. I wasn't able to attend Ale and Carlos's wedding with my parents. The last time I saw Ale was in February 2011 when she was a newlywed and just barely pregnant with Carlos Alberto. It was amazing how easily we picked up right where we had left off though. Meeting the kids was so special to me. The first time Carlos Alberto called me "Tia" I about melted. I had no idea the impact it would have on me. From that moment on, I was dreading saying good-bye to them!

After our adventures in Chicago, we made the 6 hour drive up to Cochrane for the remainder of their vacation. It was a bit more relaxing at home but we still did a lot! We visited Buena Vista Park and Grandma Rohrer in Alma, had pizza at Suncrest Gardens Farm, and celebrated the Fourth of July in Buffalo City. Dad also took Ale, Carlos, and the boys out on the river. We spent quite a few hours playing baseball, soccer, tennis, etc. outside in the backyard too. There's nothing quite like playing barefoot out in the yard!

 

 

Laura and her husband Paolo arrived on Friday with Laura's brother Geiner and his wife Marcela. Geiner and Marcela live near Chicago now so Laura and Paolo got to make a double visit out of this one trip. After the Fourth of July festivities in Buffalo City on Saturday, we explored the Alma and Nelson area on Sunday by going to Buena Vista Park (again for Mom, John, and me), Danzinger Vineyards, Nelson Cheese Factory, and Fire & Ice. We finished off their visit with breakfast with Grandma on Monday morning.

 

 

Monday afternoon we drove back to Chicago with a supper break in Madison with Jamine, Brandon, and the boys. Laura and Paolo spent Tuesday and Wednesday with us in Chicago before heading back to Geiner and Marcela's for the rest of the week. On Tuesday, we visited the bean, took the bus over to the United Center to visit the Michael Jordan statue, walked around the loop, walked south to Soldier Field through Millennium and Grant Parks, saw the Open Air exhibit outside the Field Museum, walked back to our apartment via Maggie Daley Park, and then headed up to the Cubs vs Cardinals game. It was a busy day!

 

On Wednesday, we had brunch at Wildberry, took the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise, explored Navy Pier, walked up the Lakefront Path to the John Hancock Center to have drinks at the Signature Lounge, then walked back home to enjoy Lou Malnati's pizza while watching the Costa Rica vs Jamaica Gold Cup soccer match.

 

Laura and I in the bathroom at the Signature Lounge...the best view!

Our time together went by so fast! It was so great to be back together. I always hoped we'd keep in touch but couldn't have dreamed that the connection we'd have would be so strong, even after years of not seeing each other. Ale and Laura, I love you both so much. Thank you for coming home again. Until next time...

The selfie stick version of our new family photo. We also have one from a fancy camera on a tripod...coming soon!

Goals for 2015: 2nd quarter update

Work

• Work less. I've been working 3 days a week since April 13th. It's been amazing! I enjoy work so much more now and I actually have time to get most things done that I want to do at home. Plus, I've had a bunch of appointments that I just hadn't gotten around to while I was working...haircut, doctors, dentist, etc.
• Don't sweat the small stuff. I'm trying...though things have been going pretty well lately!

Exercise

• Run three times a week. I have not been doing a great job of running three times a week even though the weather has been pretty decent. We've been out of town a lot of weekends lately and I just haven't made running a priority since I'm not running a marathon this fall. I ran 43.51 miles in April, 24.35 miles in May, and 31.03 miles in June (those last two are even less than I ran in the freezing cold of February...yikes!). I only met my goal of running three times a week in 5 of the 13 weeks. I ran three races, the Crazylegs Classic 8K, Cinco de Miler, and CARA Run the Ribbon Mile Race. I really need to get back into running regularly!
• Do a pull up! I still have not succeeded in this yet but I'm getting really close! I've worked out 15 times and done yoga 9 times this quarter. Working out when I'm off on Tuesdays is a huge bonus of working part time!

Personal

• Read books. I read two more books this quarter, Young Miles and Bring the Rain. I'm currently reading Miles, Mystery & Mayhem, the next book in the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. I'm anxiously awaiting our road trip to Montana via Canada so I can read even more!
• Stay involved with Chicago Scholars. My new cohort of scholars are awesome, as usual. We have our second workshop this week. I had breakfast with my last cohort as a farewell before they head off to college at the end of the summer. I volunteered at the College Transition Day as well. It was a great event! The 2015-2016 Associate Board kicked off last month. We have lots of new members bringing great energy to the board. It's going to be a fun year!

Book Reports: Young Miles and Bring the Rain

I finished two books while we were on vacation in Florida in May, Young Miles by Lois McMaster Bujold and Bring the Rain by Lizzy Charles.

***

Young Miles is the next Omnibus Edition in The Vorkosigan Saga. It contains The Warrior's Apprentice, The Mountains of Mourning, and The Vor Game. Again, it took me awhile to get in to the book. I had to deal with the main character shifting from my beloved Cordelia to Miles. It took 100 pages or so for me to really get into it but, once I was in, I was in!

The writing is terrific and Miles' adventures are great. I really like this series! (I'm about halfway through the next Omnibus Edition, Miles, Mystery & Mayhem, and it has been exciting since the beginning!)

Title: Young Miles
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Science fiction
Pages: 838
Stars (Out of 5): ****

***

I bought Bring the Rain because the author was donating profits to a high school friend's adoption fundraiser. Since I like to read, I thought it was a good way to support Sarah and David's growing family. Bring the Rain is a young adult novel and I didn't have very high expectations for it. But, it was a great story and I really enjoyed reading it. It was a very quick and easy read but I was totally engaged.

I noticed a few spelling/grammar errors such as "pail" instead of "pale" and "then" instead of "than" but otherwise it was really well-written. I hope there will be a sequel to Bring the Rain because I really want to know what happens next with Autumn and Colt!

Title: Bring the Rain
Author: Lizzy Charles
Genre: YA romance
Pages: 266
Stars (Out of 5): ***

Another job update

I guess I never officially "announced" that John decided to stay in his current position at UIC for one more year. We believe this will actually be his last year there. We signed a new 18 month lease for our apartment (but we can get out of it at any time by paying 2 months' rent).

I'm starting to really want to live in a smaller city. We were in Madison the other weekend and I felt really strongly that I wanted to live there. So, we shall see. More on this as things develop...

Race Report: CARA Run the Ribbon Mile Race

Saturday I ran the inaugural CARA Run the Ribbon Mile Race in Maggie Daley Park. When I first heard about it, I thought running the new skating ribbon sounded like a pretty cool idea so I went ahead and signed up. I didn't know anyone else who was doing it (or so I thought).

The course was open from 6:45 to 7:10am for runners to take a lap or two and warm up. I arrived just before 7, found the check in area, grabbed my t-shirt, and took a lap all before 7:10 when the first wave started. As those runners were starting, I saw a woman I know from Chicago Scholars. She was there to cheer on her friend and co-mentor who I also know. So, I did know others there! I hung out with them until it was time to get to the start area for my wave, the 7:30-8:00 group.

Wave 6 lining up

As I was lining up with the others in my wave, I noticed another woman wearing Oiselle. She recognized me from the Oiselle Flock Strava site. We ran our race (she finished a bit ahead of me) and then chatted while we watched the other waves.

Photos of my race courtesy of Martrice!

The mile race was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be! I didn't really train for it because I wasn't sure what to do. I just tried to start at a comfortable pace and then push it a little bit each lap (we ran just over 5 laps). I felt good during the race...but as soon as I finished I knew I had given it pretty close to all I had. I had a bit of a cough the remainder of the day...and even some wheezes. That hadn't ever happened to me before.

Overall, I really enjoyed the small-time atmosphere...and the Chicago area elite women were really fun to watch!

Distance: 1 mile
Time: 7:28.93
Cost: $30 + $3.15 service fee for non-CARA member
Pros: Super close to home, nice cotton t-shirt, small waves, opportunity to watch elites run, good post-race drinks and snacks
Cons: Expensive for a 1 mile race
Would I run it again?: Yes! 

(Non) Race Report: Universal Sole Four Mile Classic

John and I signed up for the Universal Sole Four Mile Classic on Thursday, May 14th. For the first time ever, I did not go to a race I signed up for. I felt so guilty...but we were so busy that week that I just didn't feel like it. Plus, the weather wasn't great that night. Last year, the same race took place in our neighborhood. But this year it was up at Montrose Harbor, 7 miles north of us which takes about an hour via public transportation. John decided he didn't want to travel the hour each way to run 4 miles which he could do right outside our door...and that night I agreed.

Distance: 4 miles
Time: DNS
Cost: $20 + service fee 
Pros: NA
Cons: NA
Would I run it again?: Not at Montrose Harbor on a weekday.

Race Report: Cinco de Miler

This was Natallie and my second year running the Cinco de Miler and it was again a great race! It's a smaller race than the ones I usually run in Chicago which is really nice. We were in Corral A which was awesome. The race start moved from Montrose Harbor to Soldier Field this year which worked out well for us.

The race started at 9am. We met in the lobby at 8 so we'd have plenty of time to walk the 2 miles to Soldier Field. Natallie warned me that it was chillier outside than expected and asked if I wanted to go back upstairs to change out of my shorts but I decided to stick with my shorts, t-shirt, and arm sleeves. By the time we made it to the start area, Natallie had to go to the bathroom but didn't want to walk over to the port-a-potties so we went directly to our corral. The corrals were pretty small which I loved, especially for when the race narrows onto the Lakefront Trail.

Pre-race selfie

Photo/video drone

The race started by going under McCormick Place which is always interesting. It's pretty dark under there. Plus, it had rained the night before so there were still some puddles to avoid. Once that was done the race was a piece of cake!

Natallie stopped at the port-a-potties just after Mile 1 but encouraged me to go on ahead. I didn't have my earbuds along because I wasn't anticipating running alone but I did pretty well without them. The course was entertaining enough with the mariachi bands and volunteers.

My favorite part of the course was seeing the improvements to the "prairie" along the southern part of the Lakefront Trail. I hadn't been that far south on the trail since last summer. It's looking great!

Natallie crossed the finish line shortly after I did. We admired our medals, grabbed our post-race food (and a beer for Natallie), hung out for a few minutes until we got chilly, and then headed home. My hands were numb by the time I got home. I had to sit on the couch with my blanket for awhile before I could even shower...brr! I was dressed perfectly for the race itself...just not for the walk there and back.

Finishers!

Posing with the pretty flowers in front of Soldier Field on our way home.

See, the medal is awesome!

Overall, it was an awesome race. I was a little disappointed to find out my time was slower than last year's...but it felt great!

Distance: 5 miles
Time: 42:07
Cost: $44 + service fee ($5 off coupon)
Pros: Close to home, cute shirts, awesome medals, small race, great on-course support, delicious post-race horchata and tamale
Cons: Weather
Would I run it again?: Definitely!

Race Report: Crazylegs Classic 8K

For the last four years, Mark and KJ (and now Betty Gwen) have met us in Madison for the Crazylegs Classic. So far, I'm the only one to do the 8K run. The others do the two mile walk. This year it was cold but thankfully the rain missed us.

The Wisconsin Alumni Association puts on a pretty awesome member appreciation reception before the race each year. We've participated for the last three years, I think. It's at a law firm on the 9th floor of a building overlooking the Capitol.

Our group for Crazylegs 2015!

I was in Corral Q this year so I didn't have to wait as long to start as other years. I'm slowing making my way towards the front...ha! I was afraid I hadn't dressed well. I was a little chilly before the start and a little warm about two miles in, but it ended up being perfect overall.

My first mile was a little faster than I wanted it as I needed to save energy for the climb up Bascom Hill on Observatory. I was amazed that mile 2 was even faster than mile 1. After the big hill, it was pretty much downhill or flat until mile 4, which I knew. Last year, I sped up a little too soon but this year I waited until I turned onto Breese Terrace before I picked up my pace for the end. It worked! I finished strong in Camp Randall.

8K finisher!

After the finish, I met back up with the rest of the group, downed a quick beer, and then we headed over to Union South to warm up. It would have been nice to spend more time at Camp Randall (or the Terrace) but the weather just didn't cooperate this year. There's always next year!

Distance: 8K
Time: 42:02 - A Crazylegs PR!
Cost: $35
Pros: Fun weekend with friends, great location, small start corrals make for a well-organized start and uncrowded course, hills (I love them!)
Cons: Weather is iffy in Wisconsin in April, white cotton race t-shirts
Would I run it again?: Yes! Every year for as long as I'm able!

Job updates

John and I both have job updates. Well, I have an update...John has ambiguity. So, me first.

Last week I started with my new three day a week schedule. It was weird. We finally hired the new nurse practitioner from the job that posted way back in December. She started last Monday. I now work Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; the new NP works Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays; and Megan works Tuesdays through Fridays. It's so strange (and sad) to only work with Megan two days a week. On top of all these changes, we also have a nurse practitioner student in the office two days a week (Wednesdays and Thursdays). It's going to take some adjusting...but I know I'll eventually like it!

John's update is a lot more involved. He interviewed for a tenure-track professor position at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan back in February. At the end of the two day interview, they told him to let them know if he was still interested in a week. He decided he didn't want to pursue it, mostly because he would have had to teach calculus every semester forever but also because we've grown to love Chicago and Kalamazoo is the opposite geographical direction for us to move if we're going to go to a smaller city and need to buy two cars.

When he applied to the Western Michigan job he also applied to Google Chicago. He had a phone interview right away but then didn't hear anything for a long time. Friday night he got an email asking if he was still interested. We shall see...

John's current plan is to do more programming with his dad's software company once he's finished teaching for the semester. He's trying to get a website for one of the programs up and running. More to come...but at least for now, we're staying in Chicago!

Parenthood (The TV Series)

I just watched the series finale of Parenthood which originally aired on January 29th. Yeah, I'm a little behind. I also was waiting for the right mood and the right time to watch it because I knew it would be a tough one for me. I think there have only been a couple of episodes in the entire series that I didn't cry while watching. In this last season, I've teared up before the opening credits on more than one occasion. The finale was one of those. Actually, once the tears started, they were hard to stop. I must have gone through at least 12 tissues.

I won't spoil the ending for any of you who haven't watched it. I'll just say that I highly, highly recommend it. I just reread my post about Parenthood from 2011. I'm so glad NBC gave it six seasons...and the advanced noticed to wrap up a lot of loose ends in the series finale. This is a series I'll watch over and over again.

Goals for 2015: 1st quarter update

Work

• Work less. We finally hired a third nurse practitioner and she starts on Monday! Woohoo! More details on what that means in an upcoming post.
• Don't sweat the small stuff. I needed some retail therapy after work one Friday in February but other than that, things have been good. Having Megan, my co-nurse practitioner, back from maternity leave has helped a whole lot in this area!

Exercise

• Run three times a week. I ran 47.85 miles in January, 31.65 miles in February (darn cold!), and 48.07 miles in March. I did not hit the three times a week goal for 4 of the 12 weeks, but only one of those weeks had less than two runs (and that was when I was skiing at Whistler). I also ran my first race of the year, the Shamrock Shuffle 8K the last Sunday in March.
• Do a pull up! I have not succeeded in this yet but I'm getting closer. I've worked out 10 times so far this year and have been to yoga 7 times. I can tell I'm making progress because a few weeks ago I actually did crow pose for the first time ever at yoga. Woohoo!

Personal

• Read books. I've read two books so far this year, Cordelia's Honor and The Charlatans (Remnants of America: Vol 1). I'm now slowly working my way through Young Miles, the book that follows Cordelia's Honor in the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold.
• Stay involved with Chicago Scholars. I officially recommitted to being a mentor as well as an Associate Board member for next year. Exciting things are happening with Chicago Scholars and I'm thrilled to be involved!

Lent

I grew up Catholic and while I'm not a regularly practicing Catholic anymore (Yup, I've turned into a Chreaster.), I usually still give up something for Lent. Last year I gave up going to Starbucks. Instead of stopping in for my thrice weekly chai latte, I drank tea or hot chocolate at work. I had been a little concerned about the cost as well as needing the caffeine. I gave it up without a problem...but couldn't wait to stop on our way home on Easter Sunday! I found that what I missed the most was stopping in to my neighborhood Starbucks and seeing the friendly faces each morning. My baristas know my order and my name and I missed that more than I missed the chai latte itself.

This year, after much deliberation, I decided to give up Facebook and Twitter. I still checked my notifications and, towards the end of Lent, stalked the @BadgerMBB Twitter feed for Final Four news. I also continued to follow my Instagram feed to at least keep a bit of a pulse on things. Additionally, I still posted a few things on Facebook. But I didn't spend time browsing Facebook or Twitter or keeping up with them like usual. I decided to do this because I was starting to feel anxious about not having time to see everyone's posts/tweets. FOMO (fear of missing out) is strong in me, I guess.

Do you know what I found out? I didn't miss it. Well, not really. I missed the news. (Yes, Facebook and Twitter are my main sources of news.) On the plus side, I had a lot of time on my hands. I cleaned up my email inbox including articles I had sent myself to read from April 2014. I actually listened to TED talks (this one and this one) for the first time. My reader (online log of websites/blogs I subscribe to) was at zero most nights.

But (there's always a but) I definitely feel like I need to be back on these social media sites. Most of my friends communicate with me through them. Also, all those articles I finally had the time to read caught my attention from Facebook or Twitter. However, I definitely need to cut down on the time I spend on them. I probably need to cut down on the number of people I follow. My goal for the next couple of weeks is to figure out how to make this more manageable.

Thanks, Badgers!

Last night's game was a tough way to end an amazing season. These guys played so hard all season long. They were so fun to watch! I'm super glad I got to see them in person at Northwestern in early January.

I have a few issues with how the last couple games were officiated. It seems like the teams who are favored or expected to win get better calls. That has to be frustrating as a player and coach. However, in the end, there were opportunities to win. On Saturday, those opportunities worked in our favor; last night they didn't.

No apology necessary, Sam. In fact, thank you. Thank you to each and every one of you for coming to Wisconsin and for being stand up guys and true student athletes. I think it's safe to say Nigel expanded many vocabularies in the last few weeks!

Book Report: The Charlatans (Remnants of America: Vol. 1)

I bought The Charlatans (Remnants of America Vol. 1) by J.T.R. Brown soon after it was released last fall. However, I just got around to reading it. I worked with J.T. at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana when we lived there. It was really interesting to read a book by someone I know!

It took me a couple of chapters to really get into The Charlatans but once I was in, I was in and I struggled to put it down to get to sleep on time. The character building and world building are excellent. Overall, I really like J.T.'s style of writing though sometimes it's a little wordy for me. He also uses an awesome variety of vocabulary words. I had to pull out the dictionary a few times (which I love).

My favorite quote from the book was from page 151:

This country has organized a religion around a man who hated organized religion.

This stuck with me particularly because it reflects my current religious beliefs so well.

J.T. recently announced that Remnants of America Vol. 2 will be out in Fall 2015. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Title: The Charlatans (Remnants of America: Vol. 1)
Author: J.T.R. Brown
Genre: Post-apocalyptic fiction
Pages: 288
Stars (Out of 5): ***

Race Report: Shamrock Shuffle 8K

 

Natallie and I ran the Shamrock Shuffle this morning. It was our second year running together (though last year we were in different corrals so didn't actually run together but ran identical times) and my third year overall. It's a fun race that kicks off the Chicago running season.

We met in the lobby about 7:45am and walked over to the start corrals. We were a little too early as we were entering the corral a couple minutes after 8am, nearly 20 minutes before our corral closed. The sun peaked out just a little while we were waiting for the start. It was still freezing but the sun made it bearable.

We were in Corral C so we started about 10 minutes after the official 8:30am start. It took a good mile for my legs, feet, and fingers to defrost. By mile two, I was unzipping my jacket and taking off my gloves. It was super windy but it didn't impact us much until just past the 5K mark going south on Franklin. Then, it eased up as we turned east but then hit us again going south on Michigan. I lost Natallie towards the end but found her pretty quickly after the finish.

Immediately afterwards we thought maybe it was going to turn out to be nice enough to enjoy the finish party for a little bit but by the time we made it there we were freezing again.

2015 Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle finishers!

We did a good job of pacing ourselves, starting out between 8:30 and 9 and slowly getting faster. I'm not sure if we ended up with negative splits or not (mile 3 may have been slightly slower than mile 2) but it was close!

Distance: 8K
Time: 41:44
Cost: $50
Pros: Super close to home, well organized start corrals, fun course, super cute green Dri-Fit t-shirt, great on-course support
Cons: Weather kinda sucked this year, fairly crowded
Would I run it again?: Yes!

Wisconsin Alumni Association Chicago Chapter

Last night I participated in the Wisconsin Alumni Association Chicago Chapter scholarship interviews. We interviewed 23 high school seniors (plus a few others via phone) for six $5000/year scholarships renewable for four years. The students were amazing! A few of them were pretty nervous but most of them hid any nerves and answered our questions extremely well.

There were 322 total applicants which were whittled down to 70 applicants by a few committee members. Then, more of us reviewed those 70 applications on paper and listed our Top 25. The applicants with the most Top 25 votes were invited to the interviews. The interviews consisted of four different panels who asked the same few questions to every interviewee (so every interviewee met with four different panels). It's a long night but it's so fun to hear their responses and have the opportunity to answer some of their questions about UW-Madison too.

The best part is calling the winners. An interviewer is assigned to call each of the winners. It's so fun to deliver such great news! The excitement is palpable through the phone. This is the second year that I made a call and I've teared up both times.

Book Report: Cordelia's Honor

I've decided to track the books I read by writing short "book reports" for each one. These book reports won't be very long and will just give a short description of each book including what I liked and what I didn't like.

 

I finished my first book of 2015 a week or so ago, Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold. John recommended it as the next series I should read, adding that each book could stand by itself so it wasn't super important to read them all at once. It took me almost 100 pages to really get into it but once I was in, I was in! I should note that this is actually two books, Shards of Honor and Barrayar, put into one.

I absolutely adore the title character, Cordelia. She's a very strong, independent woman which clashes a bit with her eventual husband's upbringing (though he finds it very attractive himself). I also really like the comparisons between the highly technological Beta Colony and the barbarian Barrayar. The concepts of contraceptive implants and uterine replicators were especially interesting to me.

If you like science fiction (I think John also called it a space opera) then I highly recommend this book! I'd call it an adventurous space love story.

Title: Cordelia's Honor
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Science fiction, space opera
Pages: 596
Stars (Out of 5): ****