Recent Readings

I have been on a books on CD kick lately driving back and forth to work and then have read quite a few books recently. Not sure the last time I posted what books I have read but I don't know if I mentioned the Time Traveler's Wife which was our last months book club pick. I really liked the book a lot but about half of the group didn't like it at all saying it was to unrealistic. Hmmmm....seems like most books (as well as movies) are pretty unrealistic. It is about imagination right!!

Then someone passed along a couple girly books: Girls in Trucks which was a highly amusing story about a debutant in Charleston and being brought up as a girl in a high society kind of family but does a little rebellion of her own. Then I read the Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing which was another story about a girl and growing up and her struggles with life and learning about different aspect of life. Both were entertaining and I enjoyed them, not in any way "deep".

On the CD front in my quest to "read" more classics I listened to The Great Gatsby, The Five People you Meet in Heaven, and Hamlet. I don't think I ever read the Great Gatsby but I actually enjoyed it and the interesting characteristics of Gatsby himself and was glad that I listened to it. The 5 people you meet in heaven I really enjoyed and found Mitch Album's writing style soothing. I enjoyed the interwoven stories throughout the book and how the 5 people he met were not necessarily people he knew. Last up I listened to Hamlet. First of all, I don't think listening to a play is a good idea, let alone a Shakespeare play. The wording alone is someone confusing and not being able to see the words made it difficult as well as knowing who was talking. The reader did a decent job explaining who was saying what but not always. I have never read Hamlet but I thought it was a great story plot and think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it.

Currently I am reading Hunting Eichmann, a true story about the search/capture of Adolf Eichmann, one of the top ranking German SS Officers from WW2 who eluded capture for 15 years. It is a little slow but I am really enjoying learning about what was going on and just the details of his life and how he and others thought. I am also listening to Something Borrowed Something Blue...another fluffy book, which I felt I needed after Gatsby and Hamlet.

Happy Readings!

Deck Progress

The deck is coming along. Still not quite finished but extremely close. EZ is finishing the railing right now but the trim on the outside of the deck still needs to go up and he has to cut the posts down and put the caps on. After that the deck is done and then he will have to worry about fixing up the house where our old deck was. We ordered more siding and trim for the house from where we ripped out the old deck and EZ also has to build some fake fireplace framing on the outside since our deck sits about 6 inches lower then the framing for our current fireplace. But we will definitely be able to enjoy the deck next weekend (if the weather holds). Now I just need to go patio furniture shopping! Enjoy the updated pictures!

The Deck with the base boards down:



View from the door on the house: (you can kind of see the angled corners of the deck)


EZ's detailed stairs out of the house to the deck:


Part of the railing: (We have little detailed baskets every few balusters):


Stairs leading off the deck to the side of the house:

Who's Excited

Season Premiere of The Office! Tonight 9:00pm!

Spoke too Soon

Got an email today stating that HPU has now had several cases of the H1N1 flu. Hopefully I don't get sick. I keep thinking I am doing a good job, washing my hands lots of times, using hand sanitizer, etc... hope it all works!

Head Cold and Candy Corn

Seems inevitable that the beginning of the school year bring upon a bout of sickness. Luckily there hasn't been any H1N1 flu yet here on our campus, which I am super grateful for. Wake Forest had a huge outbreak, so I guess I can't complain if what is going around is just some cold type thing. I managed to catch something last week and am just now getting over it. Still coughing up some stuff but my sinus headache is finally gone and I can breath again. I was able to go for a run this morning and not feel sick so I am coming along.

To make myself feel better I baked my all time favorite funfetti cake the other day. I sometimes just crave cake and this batch has turned out extremely moist! I have one more nights worth of cake for EZ and I but I don't need to despair because it is Halloween time in the stores which means I move on to eating candy corn like there is no tomorrow.

The deck is coming along, the stairs (out of the house to the deck) and flooring of the deck is done. EZ poured the concrete for the last post that will be in the ground for the stairs coming off the deck and he still has to put up those stairs and then the railing and some trim. It looks really good. I bet he will be done with everything after this weekend, pictures up next time.

A few things

I can't seem to get into a groove this semester. Half way through the third week now and I just can't get it together. I think part of the problem is I teach a late afternoon class on Tues/Thur and I have always taught in the morning. So I sit around (trying to do work) in the mornings now and have to be functioning at 4:00pm to teach a class...we'll see if my Geometry students learn anything this semester.

I went to Yoga Monday night (which was Labor day) and only one other person was there. Kind of funny we has like our own private class. Surprisingly, the instructor told me that I am looking SOOOOOO much better, so I guess it is helping! I do feel like it calms me down which is nice and that is it helping with some flexibility issues. I don't know if I will ever be able to touch my toes, but we'll keep at it.

EZ claimed he could build the deck in a weekend. It is not built. :) We don't even have boards up. The framing is all done and he built the stairs (which took him forever) and most of the posts for the railing are in and now he is working on the trim since he wants to have that up before he lays the deck boards down. I think it will be mostly done after this weekend. It looks rather big which is strange looking out on the framing but I am sure it won't be huge once we put furniture on it. Either way, I know it is going to look really nice when he is done and I am extremely grateful for a wonderful husband who can do this kind of stuff!

I have started training...for what, I am not sure and ONLY running. I am running 5 days a week now and about 25 miles a week which is a lot for me. EZ has me doing workouts 3 days a week-a mile repeat set, a hill workout and a last 1/2 mile fast run. I don't know if it is working but I will run a 5K in a few weeks and test out my fitness. I am debating on running a half marathon again this fall/winter (Nov-Dec). We'll see.

Demolition

As I speak, EZ is almost done with the joists and then he will be laying down deck. Here are some before and demolition stages, including the big hold EZ jackhammered.

Our Old deck (10ftx12ft our new deck will be 15ftx16ft):



The hole EZ dug and the pile of rock he jackhammered out:






The sod on the side of the house I dug up and then the new plants (really the old plants that were around the deck just got transplanted to the side of the house):




The back of the house after EZ demolished the old deck:


Next up will be the deck as it goes up hopefully soon!