A new used bookstore opened up in Mebane not too long ago and I went to check it out the other week. Every book in the store is 99 cents! And you can sell your books back there for credit as well. I left the store with only 5 books, but how can you beat the price. After my trip to the other huge bookstore earlier this summer when I bought 7 used books (not 99cents though) and I ordered a few more the other week, I am at a all time high of books I have but have not read yet!
I read a few books lately, Nature Girl, Rich Dad Poor Dad, and The Red Tent. Nature girl was really not that good, I learn a decent amount from Rich Dad Poor Dad and The Red Tent was pretty interesting. Currently I am reading The Time Traveler's Wife which I am thoroughly enjoying (and is our book club book this week)! I should finish that this week and then I will have to decide what to pick up next.
Oh and demolition of the deck occurred on Saturday, now our back yard is completely empty! EZ is hoping the permit from the city is approved this week so he can get building this upcoming weekend.
For my friends and family who like to keep up with the life of the Zack's...
Monday, August 31, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
First Day of School
It always comes up fast don't you think? I was finishing my syllabus for my 12:30pm class today at 11:00 this morning. No I am not a procrastinator, just got busy with other stuff. And once I get going on one of my classes I keep going when I should stop and work on something else. So for my two Calc classes I am already prepped through the first 4 weeks or so!
The big hole in the back yard is done, EZ jack-hammered out the rock and filled it in with the sod I dug up from the side of the house. EZ had to help me transplant all the plants from the around the old deck to the side since they were too heavy for me but it is getting there. The old deck will be ripped out this weekend. All of this labor has made both EZ and I so sore we could barely move Sunday afternoon!! I have some pics but will post them when there is some more progress.
The big hole in the back yard is done, EZ jack-hammered out the rock and filled it in with the sod I dug up from the side of the house. EZ had to help me transplant all the plants from the around the old deck to the side since they were too heavy for me but it is getting there. The old deck will be ripped out this weekend. All of this labor has made both EZ and I so sore we could barely move Sunday afternoon!! I have some pics but will post them when there is some more progress.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The Incoming Freshman Class
Check out this article from the USA Today that was brought to my attention at our faculty meeting yesterday and I found it rather interesting, or maybe more alarming:
Most alarming are these main comments about the incoming freshman into collage:
40% of students were not able to use the correct adverb or adjective form in a sentence, use the correct preposition in a phrase or make sure that the subject and verb agree in a sentence.
•30% were unable to evaluate the contribution that significant details make to a text as a whole.
•Nearly 40% could not solve multi-step problems involving fractions and percentages.
•40% could not predict the results of an additional trial of a scientific experiment.
Oh the future of America...
Most alarming are these main comments about the incoming freshman into collage:
40% of students were not able to use the correct adverb or adjective form in a sentence, use the correct preposition in a phrase or make sure that the subject and verb agree in a sentence.
•30% were unable to evaluate the contribution that significant details make to a text as a whole.
•Nearly 40% could not solve multi-step problems involving fractions and percentages.
•40% could not predict the results of an additional trial of a scientific experiment.
Oh the future of America...
Monday, August 17, 2009
Fun Filled Weekend
We had a busy and fun filled weekend. Saturday was a great day to catch up with friends we haven't seen in a while. It started with a great run of 5 miles and then some homemade quiche for a brunch we were having. Two of my grad school friends/old office mates met up here with their families for a few hours of catching up and good food. It was great to see them again!
After a little down time in the afternoon we headed to Durham for a Durham Bulls baseball game with some triathlon friends from the triangle area. Game food is always so good and it was nice to finally meet Keri! The fireworks after the game were pretty good too!
We started Sunday with some work in the yard...and I was spent after like 1 1/2 hours of digging up sod, while EZ has been digging a hug hole in the back and breaking up a rock so that we can actually grow grass back there. Our approval came on Friday for our new deck and patio so the next who knows how many weekends will be spent working on that. My job so far is the digging up the sod and moving all the plants from the back, and tearing down the deck. But it will all be worth it in the end!
After a little down time in the afternoon we headed to Durham for a Durham Bulls baseball game with some triathlon friends from the triangle area. Game food is always so good and it was nice to finally meet Keri! The fireworks after the game were pretty good too!
We started Sunday with some work in the yard...and I was spent after like 1 1/2 hours of digging up sod, while EZ has been digging a hug hole in the back and breaking up a rock so that we can actually grow grass back there. Our approval came on Friday for our new deck and patio so the next who knows how many weekends will be spent working on that. My job so far is the digging up the sod and moving all the plants from the back, and tearing down the deck. But it will all be worth it in the end!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Someone Might Think You're Training
I was out for a bike ride with EZ and our friend Ben and it dawned on me that I rode my bike 3 times last week. Then I go off and do a 5 mile run, the longest in at least 6 months and then do a 22.5 mile bike ride (5 longer than my longest ride in at like 10 months). Hmmmm...did I mentioned I swam 750meters the other day. EZ actually tells me I better watch out, someone might think I am training!
Don't worry, it won't last long. Once school starts back up in another week or so, I won't be at home every day thinking I need to go out and workout. And trust me, I don't consider this training, but a little more than just exercise perhaps.
Don't worry, it won't last long. Once school starts back up in another week or so, I won't be at home every day thinking I need to go out and workout. And trust me, I don't consider this training, but a little more than just exercise perhaps.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Camping in Ohio
The other weekend we decided to drive up to Ohio and meet my sister and family for a weekend of camping. Why Ohio??? It just so happens this is halfway between my sister and I (about 7 hours each). We left early Friday morning and drove up to right outside Akron and met them for lunch. Then off to the campground to set up camp, do a little playground action with Amelia and then dinner and smores around the campfire. You can never go wrong with true smores around a campfire!
We spent Saturday at Cuyahoga National Park doing a little hiking and seeing some waterfalls and a little more playground fun for Amelia followed by a stop at a local ice cream place. Then of course more yummy smores at night. Sunday our plans were to head to a beach there but it started raining over night so we found a local diner for breakfast then packed up our stuff, did a little more driving around the park and seeing some waterfalls and then headed home.
Here are a few pictures:
Amelia really wanted the blue ice cream:
The last day on a short little walk to see a small waterfall:
My sister has a really cute one of Amelia and I on the first night, but she won't be posting her pics for a while since they are a little behind on their blog!
EZ and I managed to listen to The Kite Runner on the trip and it was an excellent book. Even EZ really liked it. It was a great story and interesting insights on the Muslim world. I also read a short novel called Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. It is the story of two teenage boys who have to be re-educated during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. So they are sent off to a mountain village for their re-education and the story is about their time there and some secret books they read and a Chinese Seamstress they fall in love with. It was really easy to read and very good story and novel about that time period. The author is Chinese who also went through the re-education period during the cultural revolution.
Still running and yoga and a day or two cycling every now and then, nothing earth shattering. We are talking 4-5 miles of running a few days a week and 15-20 miles on the bike when I manage to get out on that thing. Yoga is going alright, it is much more difficult than I imagined and I can't begin to explain how tight my hamstrings and my pec/shoulder area is. I am trying to stretch more during the week now to see if that will help.
We spent Saturday at Cuyahoga National Park doing a little hiking and seeing some waterfalls and a little more playground fun for Amelia followed by a stop at a local ice cream place. Then of course more yummy smores at night. Sunday our plans were to head to a beach there but it started raining over night so we found a local diner for breakfast then packed up our stuff, did a little more driving around the park and seeing some waterfalls and then headed home.
Here are a few pictures:
Amelia really wanted the blue ice cream:
The last day on a short little walk to see a small waterfall:
My sister has a really cute one of Amelia and I on the first night, but she won't be posting her pics for a while since they are a little behind on their blog!
EZ and I managed to listen to The Kite Runner on the trip and it was an excellent book. Even EZ really liked it. It was a great story and interesting insights on the Muslim world. I also read a short novel called Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. It is the story of two teenage boys who have to be re-educated during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. So they are sent off to a mountain village for their re-education and the story is about their time there and some secret books they read and a Chinese Seamstress they fall in love with. It was really easy to read and very good story and novel about that time period. The author is Chinese who also went through the re-education period during the cultural revolution.
Still running and yoga and a day or two cycling every now and then, nothing earth shattering. We are talking 4-5 miles of running a few days a week and 15-20 miles on the bike when I manage to get out on that thing. Yoga is going alright, it is much more difficult than I imagined and I can't begin to explain how tight my hamstrings and my pec/shoulder area is. I am trying to stretch more during the week now to see if that will help.
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