Handing in My Man Card

Today is an off day for me as far as running. A rest before a busy weekend.

The Wedding

When I was a kid I would watch soap operas regularly. I used to watch Ryan's Hope, All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital. When I was in college I watched Guiding Light and Days of our Lives. I have always liked a good romantic story more than an action film that has little suspense.

I hate all the comic book action films that are being made because there is no suspense. The good guys win.

I don't remember what prompted me to rent The Notebook, but that was the first Nicholas Sparks related thing I watched or read. This was about three years ago and I liked the movie quite a bit.

Last year I bought a book by Sparks primarily because I had nothing to read and it was cheap. Dear John, which they are making into a movie, was my favorite book that I read in 2008. Since then I have read about five more books by Nicholas Sparks and generally like his books. His books follow a similiar formula but are different enough and often have a surprise at the end that keep me interested.

The Wedding was a simple quick read. The book was kind of a sequel to The Notebook. The main couple in this book, Wilson and Jane are the son in law and daughter of the main couple in the Notebook, Noah and Allie. Wilson frequently goes to Noah for advise.

http://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Nicholas-Sparks/dp/0446615862/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1249119568&sr=8-3

The book is mushy even for a Nicholas Sparks book and not much happens other than Wilson and Jane reconnecting after 30 years of marriage. However, it is likable and a pleasant read. I give The Wedding a B-.

The Last Child

I ran 5 miles in 44:02 today. I will take tomorrow off. On Saturday I plan to run 9 miles and 17.5 miles on Sunday.

I am switching gyms. My current gym added $15 to my monthly fee without telling me because I had the option to go to other locations. This option was free for the first year. I have never been to any other locations. When I complained about my rates increasing without any notice, they cancelled my membership rather than offer to remove the additional charge. Very poor customer service.

My new gym which I will start on Monday does not have all the bells and whistles but is singificantly cheaper. I typically only use the treadmill, ellipical and rowing machines so I don't need anything too fancy.

The Last Child

I enjoyed the previous book by John Hart, Down River which I discussed on May 21st. I was looking forward to his new book, The Last Child, but it turn out to be a jumbled mess.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312359322/ref=s9_simb_gw_xu_s0_p14_t1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0JMMNC1ED4AZ57HJEFVM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

I read most of it at the beach. The book seemed like it had a good premise, but went astray with too much symbolism and coincidence. The description of the book gave me the impression that it would be about the relationship between the two main characters, the boy Johnny Merrimon and the policy detective Clyde Hunt, but Hunt spent much of the book trying to find the boy. I think that the book would have worked much better if it focused more on Hunt helping Johnny deal with the disappearance of his twin sister and the resulting destruction of his family.

There was way too much symbolism and religious connotations. The whole Freemantle character and the relationship between the Merrimon and Freemantle ancestors completely did not work.

There was too many side stories that added up to make this a mess. Johnny was always taking car keys and driving off. Why did people keep leaving cars keys out where he could get them? This book was really a disaster.

I liked the twist at the end that the sister was killed as a random accident and not sexually assualted. However, that Hunt's son was involved was too coincidental. That Johnny's best friend knew what happened the entire time really did not fit with his character and that Johnny would forgive him, made no sense.

This book got a lot of positive review at Amazon. It really makes me question whether these real reviews or whether people with an interest in the books success, put fake reviews up to help sales.

I give The Last Child a D.

The Lost Hours

My weekend running did not go as planned. I woke up too late on Saturday to run. Alex had a swim meet and I would have had to start around 5:00 AM to have enough time, but it did not happen. On Sunday, it was raining so I did not run on the C & O Canal as planned. I did a 3 mile loop around my house. This turned out to be a good thing because I had a bathroom emergency and it was a good thing that I was near my house to take care of it before continuing. The loop is hillier than the C & O Canal and it had been several week since a did a long run. I ended up going about 15 miles instead of my planned 17. I was hurting the next day more than usual as well.

Alex is done with her swimming for the time being so I should be able to make my Saturday runs going forward. I made a renewed commitment to myself to keep to the marathon training schedule. On Monday I worked out on the rowing machine. I ran 5 miles yesterday in 43:20 and 8 miles today in 72:05. I do need to do a long run on Sunday and I am planning to go 17.5 miles. I have a 20k race the following week and the week after that I will do a 20 miler.

I went ahead and signed up for the Freedom's Run marathon yesterday. I read a lot of good information about the race and the course looks great. http://www.freedomsrun.org/

The Lost Hours

For our vacation, Virginia and I listen to a book while traveling. I had her choose between the The Lost Hours by Karen White and The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I picked both books based on excellent reviews. Virginia chose The Lost Hours. I am listening the The Help while running. Virginia made the wrong choice.

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Hours-Karen-White/dp/0451226496/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1248882067&sr=8-1

I found The Lost Hours to be slow and bland. The first half of the book especially did not hold my interest. The characters did not seem real. The part about Tucker's wife, Susan committing suicide because she found out the secret regarding Lillian seemed particularly weak. The way Lillian never reconciled with Anabelle even though she Lillian actually killed the baby did not make sense. Why not be friends later in life without focusing on this.

We listened to this book in large chunks while driving to Myrtle Beach and back. I find it is better to read or listen to books in smaller parts, but I don't think it impacted my feelings on this book. I don't understand why there is so many positive reviews for this book which is average at best. I give The Lost Hours a C-.

Abraham Lincoln

I ended up taking Wednesday off from running since I was up late getting my laptop fixed. I ran 8 miles on Thursday and 5 miles today. I am planning to run 8 tomorrow and 17 on Sunday so I will be running for four day in a row, a total of 38 miles. I will likely sign up for the Freedom Run this weekend.

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

I heard of this book from the aftermath of the recent presidential election when this book was mentioned when people were discussing the cabinet that President Obama would select. I am not normally a big history reader, but I saw this book at Costco for about $10 and thought I would give it a try.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/index.html?curid=20219683

This is a very large book that I read a lot on the train commuting to work. It was uncomfortable logging a book this size around and made me want to buy a kindle. http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Generation/dp/B00154JDAI/ref=amb_link_84770351_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1XDTK4BYN30RF3Z73B62&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=484585691&pf_rd_i=507846

However, the book is excellent. It was easy to reading because most of the material was fascinating. Like most people I knew some about Lincoln, the slavery battle and the civil war. In addition, I knew that the jist of the book was that Lincoln selected political rivals to his cabinet and developed respect and relationships with them in order to make the cabinet and his administration the most effective. However, to me the strength of the book was learning about the members of the cabinet and their families.

Two of the most fascinating individuals were Salmon Chase and William Seward.

Chase was obsessed with becoming president. He was not loyal to Lincoln and his top priority always appeared to being making himself look good and pursuing the Presidency. Chase had been married three times, but his wives all died young. He was very close with his daughter Kate, who was much admired in Washington society, was considered one of the most beautiful woman of the day and the most talked about woman.

Seward was the heavy favorite to win the Republican nomination for president in 1860. However, he had some enemies who worked against him enabling Lincoln to win. Lincoln selected Seward as his Secretary of State. Seward and Lincon developed a great friendship and had a lot of respect for each other. Seward and his son were attacked but not killed at their house the night that Lincoln was assasinated.

Another interesting thing was that the Vice President appears to be insignificant at that time, but of course becomes President if the President dies. Andrew Johnson had just become the Vice President the month before Lincoln was killed, Lincoln did not select him, he apparently made a fool of himself during a drunken speech as his inauguration and did not appear to have any influence over any policy prior to Lincoln's death. It would appear that Seward would have been a far more appropriate successor to Lincoln.

This book made me want to ready additional history books. I give Teams of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln an A.

Back from Vacation and Talking Beaches

I returned Saturday from a weeks vacation in Myrtle Beach. I have not blogged in two weeks so the following is a summary of my running since then.



7/8 3.1 miles

7/10 7 miles

7/12 5 miles

7/13 10 miles

7/14 5 miles

7/15 8 miles

7/17 8 miles

7/20 5 miles

7/21 6.2 miles



My IT band in my right leg was bothering me on 7/8 so I shortened my run that day and took the next day off. The pain went away. 7/11 and 7/18 were planned days off due to travel. I was scheduled to run a 17 miler this past Sunday, but didn't because I have been having computer problems that have been very time consuming. I did run a 5 miles yesterday rather than do the rowing machine, but I really need to get in a long run this week. The Freedom Run Marathon is less than 2.5 months away.



Beaches



Other than trips to the caribbean, prior to 2001 most of my beach trips have been to Ocena City, MD. Below is a list of the beach trips my family and I have made beginning in 2001



2001 Nags Head, NC

2002 Corolla, NC

2003 Corolla, NC

2004 Corolla, Nc

2006 Topsail, NC

2007 Topsail, NC

2009 Myrtle Beach, SC



Below is a summary, with positives and negatives each beach that I have been to.



Ocean City, MD



Summary: I went frequently when I was a kid. Went a few times before having kids usually in the off season, even proposed to Virginia in OC. Went once when Alex was a baby in season and vowed not to return. The last couple years I have gone for a weekend after Thanksgiving.



Positive: It is laid back, inexpensive and convenient in the off season. The Christmas light show that they have is nice.



Negatives: Crowded and expensive during the summer. A lot of low lifes hanging out on the boardwalk. Weather is not as nice as the Carolina beaches. The Bay Bridge gets backed up on Saturdays during the summer.



I have not been in season in quite some time, but I would give OC a C- overall.



Nags Head, NC



Summary: Part of the Outer Banks. Not as fancy as Duck or Corolla. The vacation week in 2001 was my favorite beach week even though the weather was not great. The majority of the accomodations in the Outer Banks are for large or multiple families.



Positive: Laid back and peaceful. Less expensive than Corolla and Duck. There is a decent amount to do around Nags Head with the Wright Brothers, Jockey Ridge and Manteo nearby.



Negative: Not many places for smaller families. The beach was not smooth, alot of pebbles.



We had a very good time at Nags Head so I give it a B+.



Corolla, NC



Summary: Part of the northern Outer Bank on Route 12. We went for three consecutive year between 2002 and 2004. Fairly upscale with a lot of large houses. Continues to grow significantly.



Positives: Great for large get togethers. Very nice to walk on the beach.



Negatives: Not many places for smaller families. Most houses were not oceanfront.



I give Corolla a B.



Topsail, NC



Summary: My favorite beach. It is north of Wilmington and smaller than Ocean City, Outer Banks or Myrtle Beach.



Postives: There are several reasonably priced oceanfront condos. Nothing beats being a few steps from the beach. This is a place where you make your fun which makes it ideal for family time.



Negatives: If it rains there is not a lot to do without going to Wilmington which is about an hour away. A person who goes to the beach for mini golf and nightlife will not like Topsail.



I give Topsail an A-. I am looking forward to returning next year.



Myrtle Beach



Summary: The largest and most crowded of the beaches I visited. There is a tremendous amount of entertainment and nightlife in Myrtle Beach.



Positives: Although the beach gets crowded on nice days, I was shocked how nice the beach and the water were. If you like doing activities outside of the beach, this is a great place.



Negatives: The crowds during peak season are tremendous. Very hard to get seated in a restaurant and a lot of traffic on the roads after 6 PM. This is a party place and there was a lot of noise while I was trying to sleep.



Myrtle Beach is not for me, but I can see what others would like about it. I give it a B-.

Two Movie Weekend

Running Update

My running has been rather uneventful, which I guess is a good thing. I did seven miles on the treadmill on Thursday, took Friday off, did eight on Saturday, a slow fifteen miles on the C & O Canal on Sunday, Monday was the rowing machine and five miles on the treadmill in 42:55 today. I have adjusted my schedule since I will on vacation beginning on Saturday. I am running on Friday instead of Saturday since Saturday will be a travel day, so I am running four days in a row.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur

I was off on Friday for the July 4th weekend. Alex was sleeping over a friends house so I was planning to take Aaron to the pool and work with him on learning to swim without Alex around to interfere. However, at the last minute we decided that it was not nice enough to go swimming and when we could not come up with anything else to do, decided to go to the movies. The options for 6 year old boys were limited. It was either Transformers or Ice Age. Both had got poor reviews and I had little interest in either. I decided Transformers were too violent and too long at two and a hour hours, so Ice Age it was.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Age:_Dawn_of_the_Dinosaurs

It was a movie of convenience. I had not seen either of the other two Ice Age movies. We had one of the movies on DVD so Aaron had seen that one and he did not think he saw the other one. I think I fell asleep slept within the first 15 minutes and estimate that I was out for about half an hour. When I woke up, I did not know what was going on or really care. The movie seemed like it was going to end several times, before mercifully it finally did. I give the movie a D-. Aaron said he liked it and that is more important.

Gran Torino

I liked this movie a lot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Torino_(film)

I never been a huge Clint Eastwood fan, but thought he was outstanding as an actor, director and producer of this movie. The anger that he showed especially towards his family was powerful, and entirely realistic. I would have like to see more about these relationships. The building of friendship with his asian neighbors brought a feel good aspect to the middle of the movie, especially becoming a father figure to Thao. The one part of the movie, I could have done without is the Dirty Harry part where he beats up the gang members. Eastwood is far too old for this to be realistic. However, the end was strong, although pretty obvious that he was going to sacrifice himself as soon as he found out he was dying.

I thought Gran Torino was one of the better movies of 2008 and deserved to nominated for the Oscars. The Reader was the only film that I thought was better of the films that were nominated. In addition, Eastwood should have been nominated for Best Actor as well. I give the film an A-.

Taken

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taken_(film)

I really enjoyed the first hour of this movie. It moved at a nice pace and I liked the Liam Neeson's character (Bryan Mills) trying to get back in his daughter's life while wife dealing with his bitter ex wife and her rich step dad.

The last part of the movie was a bit over the top. All by himself, Bryan Mills battles so many bad guys that it was silly. The bad guys shot at Mills hundreds of times always missing and Mills must of shot and hit 50 bad guys.

Overall, it was a light, fun movie. I give it is B.

The Scarecrow

I have been able to keep my marathon schedule so far. I did 5 miles on Friday, 7 miles on Saturday, 13 on Sunday, 5 miles on yesterday and 5 miles today. I was scheduled to run 7 miles today, but the train was behind so I was late and decided to only do 5 today and 7 tomorrow instead.

I am still pondering what marathon I will run. I need to update my training spreadsheet and go from there. The Freedom Marathon is a week before the Baltimore Marathon. I am on vacation the week after next and need to get in at least two runs of at least 20 miles and have a few weeks to taper.

The Scarecrow

I recently finished listening to Michael Connelly's latest book, The Scarecrow. Connelly is one of my favorite authors. His books are consistently good thrillers and his recurring characters are interesting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scarecrow_(Michael_Connelly_novel)

I thought the reader did a very good job. I felt like I was listening to the main character Jack McEvoy tell his story.

McEvoy was the main character in one of Connelly's most successful books, The Poet. He has been a supporting character in several book since . I liked the way the struggles of the newspaper industry was part of the book. The romantic angle with Jack and Rachel with the single bullet theort, after Rachel has been with Harry Bosch in previous books, worked well.

I thought that it would have been interesting if the book ended with one killer caught and that no one realizes that there was still a second killer on the loose for a sequel. However, Connelly went down a different path where the other killer was not an equal to the main killer, Wesley Carver. As a result, it would not have been a satisfactory ending if only the 2nd killer was caught.

The Scarecrow was a very enjoyable book. It was my favorite Connelly story since The Closers in 2005. I give this book a B+.