Readers’ Workouts – 1/5/16

by Carol4 Comments
Here are my steps for the week. I made my weekly goal, even if I didn't hit each day. My current plan is to do a core workout on Monday, cardio on Tuesday (60 mins), upper body on Wednesday, cardio on Thursday (60 mins), total body workout on Friday and cardio on Saturday (60+ mins). But I'm not doing very good at following it yet. Tuesday - 60 mins on elliptical Friday - Walk with the dog. 10 minute walk on treadmill. 30 minutes on stair mill. 25 mins on elliptical Saturday (or Sunday, I forget) - 60 min yoga Monday - 15 minutes abs I usually listen to a book while I'm walking, jogging, whatever. This week I'm listening to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I'm down 2.2 pounds from 11/17. (my goal is  11 lbs) 2016 miles:  4 out of 1000 (Stairs are tough, but don't add on to the mileage count much.) I registered for the Salt Fork Spring Challenge again this year. It's a 10.4 mile trail...
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A Highland Christmas by M. C. Beaton

by Carol5 Comments
This is the first Hamish Macbeth story I've read and I realize it's not typical of the series - no murder for example, but I really liked Hamish. He seems like a truly good guy who actually cares about the people of his town. The towns are filled with quirky odd characters, most of whom are amusing. I also love how the locals treat Hamish. Even though he's the police, he's on their side. I don't quite understand the conflict with his boss, but i'm sure it's made clear in another of the installements. This particular one is a feel-good light Christmas mystery. The mysteries involve a missing cat and some lights that have been stolen from another village.  It's short and I don't want to give much away, but it left me with a smile and wanting to visit Lochdubh again....
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Thursday’s Tale: The Elves’ Dance on New Year’s Eve

by Carol1 Comment
"The Elves' Dance on New Year's Eve" is a tale from Iceland. The story comes from Icelandic Folktales and Legends by Jón Árnason and Jacqueline Simpson. The story introduce two brothers, one who believes the Hidden People, elves, exist and the other who denies it. The argument continued and eventually the one who didn't believe in them stated he would leave home and not come back until he knew for sure one way or the other. Nothing of note occurred until, on New Year's Eve, he came to a farm where all the people were gloomy. He asked them why they were not celebrating and they explained that nobody would stay and guard the farm while the family went to the midnight church service, as anyone who kept guard on New Year's Eve disappeared. The traveler told them not to worry, that he would stay. The people gratefully accepted and hurried off to church. They were a little afraid for him, but...
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City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett

by Carol2 Comments
The world in City of Stairs is awesome! Deities used to be involved in a close, daily basis with their followers, building and changing the world, allowing one country to rule. The gods have been killed or have disappeared, their people now at the mercy of others, the city itself transformed, the weather changing. It is not surprising that there are some in Bulikov who are not happy living under the thumb of their conquerors, some who are wiling to do whatever they can to make Bulikov thrive again. Into this arena arrives Shara, a woman whose job as an intelligence agent is to maintain the status quo but whose interests lie in the past, in the history of the gods and the miracles they allowed. She has chosen this assignment to investigate the murder of a man she truly admired, but when we're talking about governments and politics and gods, dead or not, it gets complicated. Shara begins to suspect that those closest to...
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Readers’ Workouts – 12/29

by Carol4 Comments
Here are my steps for the week. I didn't make my weekly goal, but considering it was Christmas week, I think I did alright.   And here's what fitbit says my year looked like. My current plan is to do a core workout on Monday, cardio on Tuesday (60 mins), upper body on Wednesday, cardio on Thursday (60 mins), total body workout on Friday and cardio on Saturday (60+ mins). Thursday - Walk with the dog Monday - 30 mins core workout I usually listen to a book while I'm walking, jogging, whatever. This week I finished City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett and started Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I received a couple of fitnessy gifts for Christmas - 8 and 10 pound dumbbells and a cute Minnie Mouse Water bottle. I'm adding a new goal for 2016 - 1000 intentional miles in a year, walking/running. That's about 20 miles a week which is doable if I stick with my goals. Intentional miles means walks, hikes, runs...
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