2013: year (of stupid) in review

2013 was a bad year for my blog. I'm not sure why, but I just wasn't motivated to write. I've had a couple of tough terms at work, and I've been running lots this year, and then there's the boyfriend, but I should have written more. I have big plans for 2014. Big. Ok, not really, but I do plan to blog more. In the mean time, here's my 2013.

Running:
I ran two marathons, including a Boston Qualifier (though we all know how well that turned out). One of these marathons, Philadelphia, was a dumb decision, but ran with my boyfriend which salvaged the otherwise terrible race. Ok, a 3:50 is not terrible, but it felt terrible. I also PRed at the half marathon distance and at the 10 mile distance at the TC 10 mile in October. Joined by running team friends, I completed 2 Ragnar relays - one in Florida and one here. I ran about 350 more miles this year than last, but I also biked about a 1000 times and swam 1000 times more than ever before. Because...

Triathlon:
I completed a half ironman triathlon in Raleigh NC in June. Which was maybe my most favorite race experience ever. I felt awesome the whole time, which probably means I didn't race hard enough, but I don't care because I beat my goal and had a hell of a good time. And to get there I...

Roadtrip:
Drove 3700 miles on a fabulous east coast road trip. I visited a ton of friends and family and had just the best three weeks ever. Part of the reason I was so excited for this road trip was...

Work:
I had kind of a tough year at work. We had some serious illnesses and we lost one colleague to cancer in the spring. There were a few coworkers who weren't really pulling their weight. But we got some new colleagues for this academic year and work is a ton more fulfilling. I still have a nasty teaching load, but I'm happier about it. Maybe due to...

Life:
My new boyfriend is just the sweetest thing ever. Not sure where it is leading, but I don't have to and I'm having lots of fun in the mean time. It is helping while I'm preoccupied over...

Family:
My dad's health is not great right now. My sis and I were a little surprised to see dad over Christmas and hear about the latest health scares. We think it will be ok, but every time another thing happens, we wonder if it will be the last thing. Not fun.I'm glad my sis is moving back to the Cities. Not that Hibbing is SO far away, but far enough.

There are other things. I started the year with a dumb jump in a frozen lake in -5 degree weather. My orchestra gave a couple of outstanding concerts, including playing Shostakovich's 5th Symphony, one of my favorite pieces of all time in one of my most proud musical moments ever. I gave a keynote address at a conference and didn't pass out from nerves. I did this insane Body Composition Challenge at my weightlifting gym, Discover Strength and lost some weight but mostly gained strength and confidence. I traveled to Chicago to cheer for Doug in the marathon, and he ran a great PR, 2:47:27. Nutty.

All in all, a good year.

2011 in review...

Last year, I spent some time reflecting on the good, the bad, and the ugly that was 2010. So what else is there to do but a repeat performance?! How was 2011? A year of some highs and lows, to be sure. Let's start with the highs...

Greece has got to be the topper for this list. Not much more to say about it than I've already blathered on about on the blog. But it was incredible.


I went to some pretty amazing concerts this year. There was U2. Which, let's face it, was a once in a lifetime kind of concert. Bono in the rain with 60,000 fans. Pretty damn crazy wonderful.


Then there was Bon Iver. I liked his music before, but man, the band was incredible live. If I wasn't before, I'm a huge fan now.



There was also the charming Adele, Rock the Garden with My Morning Jacket, Basilica Block Party for Amos Lee and Ray LaMontagne. Incidentally, Bon Iver, My Morning Jacket, and U2 were voted as the top 3 concerts at The Current. Lucky me!

I got set up which didn't end so well. I went on match.com, which led to more stories than good dates. I'm tired of stories. Back on it, sigh. Maybe the sixth time's the charm?

I ran a marathon. I was disappointed in my time, but hey, not everyone can say they've run two marathons both in under 4 hours. So I'm going to feel good about that.

I taught a lot. Ran a lot. Began a new work blog. Played a lot of violin. Last night's Viennese New Year was pretty fun. Good to have an excuse to dress up and play some Strauss.


Read more than last year and enjoyed Talking Volumes again. Went to a few Books & Bars, wishing I could attend more but alas they are scheduled the same night as orchestra rehearsals. Summer. There's always summer.

2011 will go down in the books as a year of music and Greece. Not the worst way to spend a year.

2011 books... the first in several reflections on 2011

Last year I was very disappointed in my list of reads from the year. This year has not proven to be much of an improvement in either volume or quality. Very few 5 stars on this list (bolded) or recommended reads (*). I need something extraordinary to read!

The Imperfectionists (Tom Rachman)
All the Devils are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis (Bethany McLean)
Matched (Ally Condie)
The Westing Game (Ellen Raskin, a reread)
Moon Over Manifest (Clare Vanderpool)
One Crazy Summer (Rita Williams-Garcia)
* The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (Malcolm Gladwell)
What the Best College Teachers Do (Ken Bain)
* The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Rebecca Skloot)
Godless (Pete Hautman)
Ghostopolis (Doug TenNapel)
Something Borrowed (Emily Giffin, probably one of the worst books I've ever read)
The Graveyard Book (Neil Gaiman)
Plum Loving (Janet Evanovich)
Visions of Sugar Plums (Janet Evanovich)
Plum Lucky (Janet Evanovich)
* Bossypants (Tina Fey)
Pope Joan (Donna Woolfolk Cross, a reread)
* The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (Jeanne Birdsall)
Open (Andre Agassi)
The Help (Kathryn Stockett)
Courageous Conversations About Race (Glenn E Singleton)
Fall of Giants (Ken Follett)
Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears (Pema Chodron)
Thirteen Reasons Why (Jay Asher)
* Richard III (William Shakespeare)
Cutting for Stone (Abraham Verghese)
Fly Away Home (Jennifer Weiner)
Room (Emma Donoghue)
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen (Christopher McDougall)
Mockingbird (Kathryn Erskine)
Sugar in my Bowl: Real Women Write about Real Sex (Erica Jong)
To Be a Runner (Martin Dugard)
* A Visit from the Goon Squad (Jennifer Egan)
Damned (Chuck Palahniuk)
Living Dead Girl (Elizabeth Scott)
In Other Rooms, Other Wonders (Daniyal Mueenuddin)
* Heart of a Samurai (Margi Preus)
* Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Jamie Ford)
* Looking for Alaska (John Green)
* Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie (Jordan Sonnenblick)
Lord of the Flies (William Golding, a reread)
* Out of the Dust (Karen Hesse, a reread)
Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck, a reread)

I suppose there's time for me to read more, but we'll leave it at this. Hoping to get lost in something compelling soon. Here's to a new year in books!