Books read in 2009 - Final Count

Final Count: 56

Favorite Books of the Year: Rage and Glory: The Volatile Life and Career of George C. Scott by David Sheward, The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough, The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate's Deep Throat by Bob Woodward

Least Favorite Book of the Year: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

America's Queen, Sarah Bradford
Deadhouse: Life in a Coroner's Office, John Temple
Marilyn's Last Words, Matthew Smith
Corpse: Nature, Forensics and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death, Jessica Snyder Sachs
Rage and Glory: The Volatile Life and Career of George C. Scott, David Sheward
Sinatra in Hollywood, Tom Santopietro
How Not to Die: Surprising Lessons on Living Longer, Safer, and Healthier from America's Favorite Medical Examiner, Jan Garavaglia, M.D.
Pieces of My Heart: A Life, Robert J. Wagner & Scott Eyman
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice, Maureen McCormick
Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed, Michelle Morgan
Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Crimes Of Style: Urban Graffiti and the Politics of Criminality, Jeff Ferrell
Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York, Craig Castleman
Freight Train Graffiti, Roger Gastman, Darin Rowland & Ian Sattler
The Birth of Graffiti, Jon Naar
Subway Art, Martha Cooper & Henry Chalfant
Graffiti NYC, Hugo Martinez
A Portrait of Joan: The Autobiography of Joan Crawford, Joan Crawford & Jane Kesner Ardmore
Mrs. Lincoln: A Life, Catherine Clinton
Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism, Susan Ware
The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough
Who Killed Bobby? The Unsolved Murder of Robert F. Kennedy, Shane O'Sullivan
Last Flight, Amelia Earhart
The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart, Mary S. Lovell
Eisenhower, Geoffrey Perret
Seabiscuit: An American Legend, Laura Hillenbrand
Lindbergh, A. Scott Berg
The Kennedy Men: 1901-1963, Laurence Leamer
The Royals, Kitty Kelley
The Reader, Bernhard Schlink
Marilyn Revealed: The Ambitious Life of an American Icon, Ted Schwarz
The Kennedy Women, Laurence Leamer
The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate's Deep Throat, Bob Woodward
Case Closed, Gerald Posner
All the President's Men, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein (again)
The Final Days, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer
I Was Amelia Earhart, Jane Mendelsohn
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
Amelia Earhart: The Final Story, Vincent V. Loomis
The Day Kennedy Was Shot, Jim Bishop
Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved, Elgen M. Long & Marie K. Long
High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly, Donald Spoto
84 Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff
East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart, Susan Butler
The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank
Fletch, Gregory McDonald
Confess, Fletch, Gregory McDonald
Fletch's Fortune, Gregory McDonald
Fletch Won, Gregory McDonald
Assassination: Robert F. Kennedy, 1925-1968, editors of United Press International and Cowles

Miles run in 2009 - Final Count

I'm so proud of the mileage that I ran this year. Even with a horrible case of plantar fasciitis, I continued to run through the pain.

The first week my foot doctor told me to cut my mileage, I didn't. When I realized my foot wasn't going to get better, I started to listen to him. I cut my mileage down to 15 miles a week for quite a while. That really got to me being stuck at such a low number. I wanted to do more. I picked up my training. In July I started running six days a week and over 30 miles a week. I know that is what really helped me increase my mileage compared to last year.

This year I plan to continue running six days and over 30 miles a week. If I do that I will definitely top 2009's mileage.

Total miles run for the year:
2004: 318.6
2005: 350.8
2006: 470
2007: 573.7
2008: 960.2
2009: 1257.9

New Year goals

1. Run over 1300 miles - I am reluctant to write down 1500 miles. It is something I want to accomplish, but I have worries about injuries. Who knows if the awful plantar fasciitis will come back? I will continue to run six days and over 30 miles a week. Let's see where that takes me.

2. Shoot photos more - This has been a resolution for three years in a row. I want to get back to shooting my favorite things on a regular basis: cemeteries, cemetery statues, decaying structures/industry and graffiti. I would like to upload all of the photos I shoot this year to a photography site for everyone to see.

3. Continue reading - I finished 2009 with 56 books read. My plan is to finish reading over 40 books again. I say 40 because some of the books I read were small and took a day to finish.

4. Lose a few pounds - I maintained my weight throughout 2009. I know I will keep my running up, I want to try to eat better.

Movies watched in 2009 - final count

Final Count: 91

Favorite Movies: 84 Charing Cross Road (1987), Amelia (2009), The Hospital (1971), The Hustler (1961), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), The Reader (2008), The Thorn Birds (1983),

Favorite Documentary: Amelia Earhart (2005)

Least Favorite Movie: Romance & Cigarettes (2005)

So bad that it was laughable: Any of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 movies. Mike's, Tom Servo's and Crow's riffs made these movies so fun to watch and laugh at.

Movie I watched for famous quote: Gone With The Wind (1939)

• 84 Charing Cross Road (1987)
• Against All Odds (1984)
• Amelia (2009)
• Amelia Earhart (2005) TV
• Anastasia (1956)
• Autumn Leaves (1956)
• Bombshell (1933)
• Bullfighter and the Lady (1951)
• Clerks (1994)
• Dinner at Eight (1933)
• Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
• Easy Money (1983)
• Elmer Gantry (1960)
• Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights (1992)
• Family Plot (1976)
• Frenzy (1972)
• Frost/Nixon (2008)
• Gone With The Wind (1939)
• Gran Torino (2008)
• Hitler: The Rise of Evil (2003) TV
• Hold Your Man (1933)
• Humoresque (1946)
• JFK: Special Edition (1991)
• Lincoln (2005) TV
• Mildred Pierce (1945)
• Mogambo (1953)
• MST3K: A Touch of Satan (1998) TV
• MST3K: Boggy Creek II (1999) TV
• MST3K: Eegah (1993) TV
• MST3K: Gunslinger (1993) TV
• MST3K: Hamlet (1999) TV
• MST3K: Hercules Against the Moon Men (1992) TV
• MST3K: Hobgoblins (1997) TV
• MST3K: Horrors of Spider Island (1988) TV
• MST3K: I Accuse My Parents (1993) TV
• MST3K: Laserblast (1999) TV
• MST3K: Manos: The Hands of Fate (1993) TV
• MST3K: Mitchell (1993) TV
• MST3K: Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (1997) TV
• MST3K: Prince of Space (1997) TV
• MST3K: Red Zone Cuba (1994) TV
• MST3K: Teen-Age Strangler (1993) TV
• MST3K: The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1993) TV
• MST3K: The Crawling Hand (1989) TV
• MST3K: The Dead Talk Back (1994) TV
• MST3K: The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) TV
• MST3K: The Girl in Gold Boots (1999) TV
• MST3K: The Indestructible Man (1988) TV
• MST3K: Tormented (1988) TV
• MST3K: Werewolf (1999) TV
• MST3K; Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders (1999) TV
• Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996)
• Network (1976)
• New Moon (2009)
• Outrageous Fortune (1987)
• Plantinum Blonde (1931)
• Pure Country (1992)
• Red Dust (1932)
• Red-Headed Woman (1932)
• Revolutionary Road (2008)
• RFK: His Life and Legacy (2009) TV
• RFK: His Many Sides (2005)
• Romance & Cigarettes (2005)
• Run Fatboy Run (2007)
• Shaun of the Dead (2004)
• Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (2005)
• Still Waiting (2009)
• Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
• Taps (1981)
• The Amityville Horror (1979)
• The Great Gatsby (1974)
• The Hindenburg (1975)
• The Hoax (2006)
• The Hospital (1971)
• The Hustler (1961)
• The Last Days of Patton (1986)
• The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
• The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
• The Philadelphia Story (1940)
• The Reader (2008)
• The Searchers (1956)
• The Thorn Birds (1983) TV miniseries
• The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947)
• The Wackness (2008)
• The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993)
• There's No Business Like Show Business (1954)
• They Might Be Giants (1971)
• To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
• Uncommon Valor (1983)
• Valley of the Dolls (1967)

Favorite Photos of the Year

Both photos taken at Encore Dance Studio in Adrian, MI.

Books read in 2009

Some books I can read in a day or two. The last couple that I picked up at the library have been like that. The book I'm currently reading is another fast read, Assassination: Robert F. Kennedy 1925-1968 by the editors of United Press International and Cowles. This book puts together photographs and articles by UPI reporters/photographers the day Kennedy was shot and the five days after. I am finding the book very interesting and it is a page turner. The book includes Ted Kennedy's eulogy for his brother. My favorite excerpt is below.


"My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.

Those of us who loved him and who take him to his rest today, pray that what he was to us and what he wished for others will some day come to pass for all the world.

As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him:

"Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not." "

Hear Ted say it.


America's Queen, Sarah Bradford
Deadhouse: Life in a Coroner's Office, John Temple
Marilyn's Last Words, Matthew Smith
Corpse: Nature, Forensics and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death, Jessica Snyder Sachs
Rage and Glory: The Volatile Life and Career of George C. Scott, David Sheward
Sinatra in Hollywood, Tom Santopietro
How Not to Die: Surprising Lessons on Living Longer, Safer, and Healthier from America's Favorite Medical Examiner, Jan Garavaglia, M.D.
Pieces of My Heart: A Life, Robert J. Wagner & Scott Eyman
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice, Maureen McCormick
Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed, Michelle Morgan
Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Crimes Of Style: Urban Graffiti and the Politics of Criminality, Jeff Ferrell
Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York, Craig Castleman
Freight Train Graffiti, Roger Gastman, Darin Rowland & Ian Sattler
The Birth of Graffiti, Jon Naar
Subway Art, Martha Cooper & Henry Chalfant
Graffiti NYC, Hugo Martinez
A Portrait of Joan: The Autobiography of Joan Crawford, Joan Crawford & Jane Kesner Ardmore
Mrs. Lincoln: A Life, Catherine Clinton
Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism, Susan Ware
The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough
Who Killed Bobby? The Unsolved Murder of Robert F. Kennedy, Shane O'Sullivan
Last Flight, Amelia Earhart
The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart, Mary S. Lovell
Eisenhower, Geoffrey Perret
Seabiscuit: An American Legend, Laura Hillenbrand
Lindbergh, A. Scott Berg
The Kennedy Men: 1901-1963, Laurence Leamer
The Royals, Kitty Kelley
The Reader, Bernhard Schlink
Marilyn Revealed: The Ambitious Life of an American Icon, Ted Schwarz
The Kennedy Women, Laurence Leamer
The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate's Deep Throat, Bob Woodward
Case Closed, Gerald Posner
All the President's Men, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein (again)
The Final Days, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer
I Was Amelia Earhart, Jane Mendelsohn
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
Amelia Earhart: The Final Story, Vincent V. Loomis
The Day Kennedy Was Shot, Jim Bishop
Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved, Elgen M. Long & Marie K. Long
High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly, Donald Spoto
84 Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff
East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart, Susan Butler
The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank
Fletch, Gregory McDonald
Confess, Fletch, Gregory McDonald
Fletch's Fortune, Gregory McDonald
Fletch Won, Gregory McDonald

Currently Reading: Assassination: Robert F. Kennedy, 1925-1968, editors of United Press
International and Cowles
Up Next: Library trip

Sound of Music

My favorite musical was on TV over the weekend, The Sound of Music. I watched it a lot growing up. It was one of my sisters favorite movie. Since I watched it along with her, I can sing every song and can recite dialog. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Maria (Julie Andrews) and Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) do the folk dance at the party to announce his engagement to the Baroness. I tried to find that clip on YouTube. I ended up finding something better.

End of year questions

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Vacationed in Boston.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Yes. I kept three out of four resolutions. I ran over 1000 miles, at more at home and read of 40 books. The only one I didn't keep is shooting more personal photos. Yes. I will make more resolutions for 2010 and shooting more personal photos will be on the list.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. My husband's grandfather.

5. What countries did you visit?
The United States.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Always more money.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October. I completed my second half marathon and beat my 2008 time by 13 minutes.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Running over 1200 miles.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not shooting more personal photos.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
In January, had plantar fasciitis in my left foot. It took until August to get rid of it.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A Nikon 70-200 mm f/2.8 VR lens.

12. Where did most of your money go?
Student loan, gas and house payments.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to Boston.

14. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Lady Gaga - Poker Face

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier.
b) thinner or fatter? The same.
c) richer or poorer? About the same.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of? Shoot photos for myself.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of? complain

18. How did you spend Christmas?
I opened presents with my husband first, then went to my mom's house then to my husband's parents house. It was a long day.

19. Did you fall in love in 2009?
No, still in love with my husband

20. What was your favorite TV programs?
Community, Modern Family, Family Guy, Dexter & Mad Men.

21. What was the best book you read?
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

22. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Lady Gaga

23. What did you want and get?
Marilyn Monroe: The Complete Last Sitting by Bert Stern and a point and shoot Nikon camera.

24. What did you want and not get? Books from my gift list.

25. What was your favorite films of this year?
84 Charing Cross Road, The Hospital, The Hustler, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Thorn Birds, The Reader

26. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 30 and I actually don't remember what I did.

27. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More money.

28. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Aeropostale and American Eagle.

29. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Amelia Earhart.

31. Who do you miss?
My dad and friends that have moved away.

32. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. That most rumors are not true.

33. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. Something has changed within me/
Something is not the same/I'm through with playing by the rules/Of someone else's game - Defying Gravity (Wicked)

"The Hospital" - Trailers From Hell

Watched The Hospital (1971) over the weekend and enjoyed it. George C. Scott as Dr. Herbert Block was fantastic. But I would always think that. George C. Scott is one of my favorite actors.

"The Hospital" - Trailers From Hell

Books read in 2009

Last Monday, I picked up several books at the library. One of the books was Fletch Forever by Gregory McDonald. Inside this 600 page book was the first three of his Fletch novels; Fletch, Confess, Fletch and Fletch's Fortune. I finished reading the entire book last night. They were a fun read. And yes, all fiction. As you may know, I rarely read fiction. When I picked up the books last week, I was unsure if I was going to receive any books for Christmas. On my gift list for my husband, I had many non-fiction books listed. If I was going to receive a bunch of non-fiction books, I wanted a couple of fast reading fiction books to break up all of the facts.

For Christmas, I did receive one book from my list: Marilyn Monroe: The Complete Last Sitting by Bert Stern. This book is not a sit down and read book. It is a awesome photo book and has over 2500 photos of Marilyn taken by photographer Bert Stern in their three-day session. The photos of Marilyn are lovely and I'm glad that I finally own this book. If you are a Marilyn Monroe fan, I recommend this book.


America's Queen, Sarah Bradford
Deadhouse: Life in a Coroner's Office, John Temple
Marilyn's Last Words, Matthew Smith
Corpse: Nature, Forensics and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death, Jessica Snyder Sachs
Rage and Glory: The Volatile Life and Career of George C. Scott, David Sheward
Sinatra in Hollywood, Tom Santopietro
How Not to Die: Surprising Lessons on Living Longer, Safer, and Healthier from America's Favorite Medical Examiner, Jan Garavaglia, M.D.
Pieces of My Heart: A Life, Robert J. Wagner & Scott Eyman
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice, Maureen McCormick
Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed, Michelle Morgan
Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Crimes Of Style: Urban Graffiti and the Politics of Criminality, Jeff Ferrell
Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York, Craig Castleman
Freight Train Graffiti, Roger Gastman, Darin Rowland & Ian Sattler
The Birth of Graffiti, Jon Naar
Subway Art, Martha Cooper & Henry Chalfant
Graffiti NYC, Hugo Martinez
A Portrait of Joan: The Autobiography of Joan Crawford, Joan Crawford & Jane Kesner Ardmore
Mrs. Lincoln: A Life, Catherine Clinton
Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism, Susan Ware
The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough
Who Killed Bobby? The Unsolved Murder of Robert F. Kennedy, Shane O'Sullivan
Last Flight, Amelia Earhart
The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart, Mary S. Lovell
Eisenhower, Geoffrey Perret
Seabiscuit: An American Legend, Laura Hillenbrand
Lindbergh, A. Scott Berg
The Kennedy Men: 1901-1963, Laurence Leamer
The Royals, Kitty Kelley
The Reader, Bernhard Schlink
Marilyn Revealed: The Ambitious Life of an American Icon, Ted Schwarz
The Kennedy Women, Laurence Leamer
The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate's Deep Throat, Bob Woodward
Case Closed, Gerald Posner
All the President's Men, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein (again)
The Final Days, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer
I Was Amelia Earhart, Jane Mendelsohn
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
Amelia Earhart: The Final Story, Vincent V. Loomis
The Day Kennedy Was Shot, Jim Bishop
Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved, Elgen M. Long & Marie K. Long
High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly, Donald Spoto
84 Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff
East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart, Susan Butler
The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank
Fletch, Gregory McDonald
Confess, Fletch, Gregory McDonald
Fletch's Fortune, Gregory McDonald

Currently Reading: Fletch Won, Gregory McDonald
Up Next: Assassination: Robert F. Kennedy, 1925-1968, United Press International

Community

One of my new favorite fall shows is Community on NBC. I love everything about this show. I usually try to watch the episodes twice to catch all of the great lines. Besides Family Guy and Modern Family, Community is a show that I actually laugh all the way through.

Random things

On my first of five days off, I slept in until 6:30 a.m. On any normal day, I would have been up at 4 a.m. and at work at 4:30 a.m. But I don't have to think about that until next Tuesday and that feels great!

I have already been on the treadmill today. I started at 7 a.m. and watched Saved By The Bell The episodes that were shown were of the whole gang working at The Malibu Sands. When I was younger I really wanted to work at a beach club because of them. It looked fun. They hardly ever worked. But where I live, we don't have anything cool like that. No beaches, no oceans. And no Zack Morris. Boo.

I have a very busy Christmas Eve. At 10 a.m., I have a rehearsal at church for tonight's Christmas mass. I will be one of three altar servers for mass tonight. My role as altar server last year was to carry the incense. I hope to pass that on to someone else this year. The incense is so strong when it is lit. It instantly gave me a headache.

When rehearsal is finished, I will be making lunch. Then its on to cleaning the house. After mass, my family will be arriving at my house for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. Back before I was married, the traditional Christmas Eve dinner was Subway. We would stop and get subs right before it closed for the night. The Subway tradition still continued for a couple of years after I was married. One year it changed. My husband and I had a nice meal planned for us, but somehow my entire family got invited over to our house and the tradition started. I think it is the one tradition I look forward to the most each year.

Books read in 2009

America's Queen, Sarah Bradford
Deadhouse: Life in a Coroner's Office, John Temple
Marilyn's Last Words, Matthew Smith
Corpse: Nature, Forensics and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death, Jessica Snyder Sachs
Rage and Glory: The Volatile Life and Career of George C. Scott, David Sheward
Sinatra in Hollywood, Tom Santopietro
How Not to Die: Surprising Lessons on Living Longer, Safer, and Healthier from America's Favorite Medical Examiner, Jan Garavaglia, M.D.
Pieces of My Heart: A Life, Robert J. Wagner & Scott Eyman
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice, Maureen McCormick
Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed, Michelle Morgan
Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Crimes Of Style: Urban Graffiti and the Politics of Criminality, Jeff Ferrell
Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York, Craig Castleman
Freight Train Graffiti, Roger Gastman, Darin Rowland & Ian Sattler
The Birth of Graffiti, Jon Naar
Subway Art, Martha Cooper & Henry Chalfant
Graffiti NYC, Hugo Martinez
A Portrait of Joan: The Autobiography of Joan Crawford, Joan Crawford & Jane Kesner Ardmore
Mrs. Lincoln: A Life, Catherine Clinton
Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism, Susan Ware
The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough
Who Killed Bobby? The Unsolved Murder of Robert F. Kennedy, Shane O'Sullivan
Last Flight, Amelia Earhart
The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart, Mary S. Lovell
Eisenhower, Geoffrey Perret
Seabiscuit: An American Legend, Laura Hillenbrand
Lindbergh, A. Scott Berg
The Kennedy Men: 1901-1963, Laurence Leamer
The Royals, Kitty Kelley
The Reader, Bernhard Schlink
Marilyn Revealed: The Ambitious Life of an American Icon, Ted Schwarz
The Kennedy Women, Laurence Leamer
The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate's Deep Throat, Bob Woodward
Case Closed, Gerald Posner
All the President's Men, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein (again)
The Final Days, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer
I Was Amelia Earhart, Jane Mendelsohn
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
Amelia Earhart: The Final Story, Vincent V. Loomis
The Day Kennedy Was Shot, Jim Bishop
Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved, Elgen M. Long & Marie K. Long
High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly, Donald Spoto
84 Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff
East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart, Susan Butler
The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank

Currently Reading: Fletch Forever, Gregory McDonald
Up Next: Fletch Won, Gregory McDonald

Miles run in 2009

I can't believe I have run 1200 miles this year! In my all of my years running regularly, I never thought I would even come close to 1000 miles. But now I have done it. I want to keep up my mileage in the new year. I plan to continue running over 30 miles a week. Maybe on a week that I'm not that busy try to run a 40 mile week.

I pray that I can keep injury free in the new year. I don't need a repeat of this year. To prevent that awful injury from coming back, I plan on buying new running shoes within the next week or two. I know I am overdue in that department.

2004: 304.6
2005: 335.8
2006: 457.0
2007: 554.6
2008: 936.1
2009: 1211.8

Christmas items

I started Christmas shopping weeks ago. And I'm still not done. I really tried to finish it up last night. I was uncertain on what to get my niece and nephews. I decided to wait until my husband is with me.

Besides the young ones, my brothers and sisters are pooling together money to buy my Mom a gift. We have yet to pool our money together. I hope I can exchange cash later this afternoon with my sister who came up with the idea. Once that's done, I have to pick up a small gift for one of my brothers. Slowly, but surely it is coming along.

On another note Christmas related note, last year my husband and I received probably close to 20 Christmas cards. This year our total is seven. Seven? Our people just not sending out cards this year? I can understand if people don't want to spend the money on stamps. They are getting pricey.

Christmas is less then a week away. I hope everyone's holiday is merry.

Books read in 2009

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Family Guy

In the latest episode of Family Guy, Peter takes Carter Pewterschmidt to a strip club for the bachelor party he never had. The dialog at the end of this clip had my husband and I laughing so much. We both got the Billy Joel reference.

Weekend update

My husband and I went to Toledo, Ohio on Saturday night. It was a warm evening, in the 30s, so we decided to go see the Lights Before Christmas at the zoo. The line of cars to get into the zoo was really long. It probably was a mile or longer. My husband got out of line. He was going to go past the zoo and do a U-turn to come in from the other way. That line was very long also. Before going past the zoo, he found a gap behind a vehicle near the entrance. There was enough of a gap to let our truck in and the people behind us in a SUV.

Once we finally paid for parking, the parking lot was jammed with cars. We have been going to see the Lights Before Christmas since 1997 and this was the busiest I have ever seen it. We parked in a lot that wasn't really a lot. It was an open field area that had maintenance buildings on it. We were beyond the parking lot. It was a bit of a walk to get to the entrance, but I didn't mind the walk. The thing that bothered me walking was the guy in front of us smoking. His smoke was blowing back in our faces. My husband took my hand and we got off the sidewalk into the grass and passed him. We found a gap and got behind some people. This group was walking slow because a bunch of kids were leading them. This made us get off the sidewalk again and pass them.

When we got into the zoo, it was wall to wall people. Everywhere you looked and stepped, someone was right there. The lights were pretty as usual and I enjoyed looking at them. The thing I didn't enjoy was when the person or group in front of us would just stop. Instead of being considerate and move off to the side, they would stop in the middle of everything. This happened many times while we were walking around. Also there were so many children in wagons and strollers. Some of the paths are not big enough to pass by without being forced off into the grass. There were a few times were I had to leave the sidewalk because these parents hogging the way. GRRRR!

As we were leaving I said to my husband that next year we should come on a day that is colder. Maybe there wouldn't be so many people. Because who really wants to walk around when it is freezing cold?

No. 108 - Boston, MA

Winter has officially arrived

Trying to get into my car this morning was difficult. Less then an inch of snow fell overnight. During the early morning hours, the snow turned to rain. The rain was melting the snow. It seemed everywhere I stepped, the snow turned into a big water puddle. I was trying to walk carefully so I wouldn't get water on my shoes. It didn't work. My shoes got wet. The good thing is they didn't get wet enough to get to my socks.

The drive to work was fine. The roads were wet and somewhat slushy. When I got to the office, I saw the parking lots have already been plowed. I parked next to another car in the lot. That car was already in the lot when it was plowed. So the plow went around it. Leaving piles of snow on the passenger side of the parked car. I opened my door and looked down. I could tell there was a puddle of snow and water waiting for me. I tried my best to get out slowly so I wouldn't splash. It didn't matter. My shoes, socks and pant legs got all wet. Just trying to make it to the building was hard. Everywhere I stepped was puddles of water and slushy snow. I really enjoyed working with wet shoes, socks and pants.

During the morning hours, the wind picked up. We had 25 mph winds with gusts up to 60 mph. Later in the afternoon, the wind was shaking my house. I went outside on the porch to see if the Christmas decorations were still standing. Two snowman were knocked over. I picked up the larger snowman and set it back on the table it was standing on. The small snowman was laying on one of the front steps of the porch. I picked it up and tucked it against the side of the house and mailbox. That's not getting blown away tonight.

The glorious wind will continue into Thursday and finally diminish Thursday night. With the wind comes the wind chills. With the wind chills Thursday, the temperature will be right around zero. Yuck. All I can ask is: Is it spring yet?

Granary Burying Ground - Boston, MA

84 Charing Cross Road

I recorded a movie off of Turner Movie Classic over the weekend called 84 Charing Cross Road. The movie stars Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins.

The movie is about a script-reader in New York who is searching for British literature and obscure classics. She sees an ad in a literature magazine for a bookstore in London that does mail orders. She begins a twenty year correspondence with the chief buyer of the bookseller and other employees.

It was only after watching the movie that I found out this was a true story. The title of the movie, 84 Charing Cross Road was the address of the bookseller in London. The character that Anne Bancroft played is Helene Hanff. In 1970, Hanff wrote a book called 84 Charing Cross Road. The book contains the letters that Hanff wrote to the chief buyer, Frank Doel, played by Anthony Hopkins. I was hoping that in the movie Bancroft and Hopkins would meet. But it wasn't might too be.

It was a great story and Bancroft and Hopkins acted wonderfully. I'm hoping that the library will have a copy of this book. If not, I can always buy one from Amazon.com.

Random things

I've been away from my blog for a couple of days. This is what I've been doing.

I photographed four different school's winter sports teams this week. This is something that nobody likes to do, but it must be done. Myself and other photographers gather the varsity players and have them write their names on a piece of paper. After they write their name, they hold the paper at their chest level while we take a photo of them. When I'm around the athletes, I try to say head shot. At work, we call them mug shots. Some of the kids will say that this feels like a jail mug shot. I smile at them even though I heard it thousands of times. In the past, we have used a couple of the athlete's head shots as a mug shot for a crime they committed.

The shortest session I had at a school was 40 minutes. The longest session at a school was 3 hours. If you count the drive time it was 4 hours. That didn't make me very happy. At the beginning of the session was varsity boys basketball. Following them was the wrestling team. I finished with them around 3:30/3:40 p.m. Next was the JV girls/boys and freshmen basketball teams. And I didn't need photos of any of them. The bowling was supposed to come next. They didn't. The team didn't show up. I never heard the reason for their absence. That left a huge gap in things. I didn't photograph the varsity girls basketball team until 5:45 p.m. I walked out of the school right after 6 p.m.

With the four photo shoots this week, I have managed to keep up with my running schedule. So far this week I have ran 27 miles. I ran the longest for the week on Wednesday, 12 miles. After that run I was very tired. On Thursday, I had another afternoon shoot. I was thinking about skipping my run. While I was in the gym waiting for athletes, I saw girls running on the indoor track. Just watching them run, inspired me to run when I got home. I ran 4 miles, but my legs were not feeling too great.

Starting my Christmas shopping for my husband tonight. After him, I still need to get something for my mom, my in-laws, a gift for brothers/sisters, my nephews and my niece. Too many people. I hope to be done with everything next week. Hopefully.

It is December and I haven't done anything with my Christmas cards. Since 2001, I have made my own Christmas cards. I haven't had the desire to even get out any of my inks or card stock. I haven't been in the Christmas card making mood. I don't think I will even get there this year. I made plenty of cards last year and have extras. I think I will be sending those out. Or I could just buy some at the store. Would people be disappointed if they didn't get a handmade card from me?

Books read in 2009

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Miles run in 2009

I'm just plugging away at the mileage this year. It is a great feeling. I was so happy to meet my New Year's resolution and run a 1000 miles. It feels even better to break 1100 miles. I hope to reach 1200 miles before the end of the year. I think I will be able to do that.

2004: 277.6
2005: 318.8
2006: 437
2007: 520.6
2008: 891.1
2009: 1109.8

Books read in 2009

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

All things Patton

I think the first time I watched the movie Patton (1970) was sometime in my 20s. I knew about the movie when I was younger, but never watched it. Back then I wasn't interested in war movies. It was and still is a great movie. George C. Scott was fabulous as General George S. Patton and truly deserved the Oscar for Best Actor. Scott won and refused it.

This is really the best World War II movie I have ever seen. The movie really pulls the viewer in right in the beginning with the opening speech by George C. Scott. Then the viewer is introduced to the theme music by Jerry Goldsmith and it is really wonderful. It is so wonderful that I have Patton's theme on my iPod.

My favorite line of the movie has to be when the U.S. intercepts a German radio message saying that Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's 10th Panzer will be hitting them at El Guettar. In the scene Patton is overlooking the battle: "Rommel... you magnificent bastard, I read your book!"

Patton (1970) trailer



Patton theme by Jerry Goldsmith



My favorite line of Patton at end of video

Random things

Monday was the Division I cross country championships in Terra Haute, Indiana. Colorado's Jenny Barringer was the favorite to win the women's race. At the start of the race she was leading the pack, followed closely by Florida State's Susan Kuijken. At the halfway point something happened to her. She lost her stride, fell back in the pack and even collapsed. Barringer said she was "delirious... I just lost my head and didn't feel good and then next thing I knew I was on the ground thinking 'Is this really happening to me? Is this a race?'" She went on to say that the "pressure she has been under the for the last few months finally overwhelmed her." Barringer ended up finishing 163rd overall. Even though she didn't do as well as she wanted to, she is still awesome runner and athlete. The article from the Colorado Buffaloes site about can be found here.

I worked a double shift yesterday. It wasn't that bad. I worked a total of 10.5 hours. I was happy to work all of that yesterday because it meant having the next three days off of work. It could have been five days in a row, which would have been awesome. It is not five days because Saturday morning, I will be traveling to Ford Field in Detroit to photograph a football state final involving a local county team. Two years ago when I was shooting a state final at Ford Field, I received calls from my sisters. They wanted to tell me that they saw me on TV. I will record the game on my DVR. I want to see if I will be on TV again. I know. I'm a geek.

In speaking of my double shift yesterday, I left work a little after 11 p.m. I went to bed after midnight. Around 4:10 a.m., I woke up. I tossed and turned. I couldn't get back to sleep. I decided to get dressed and go back to the office and check on something. I thought that I forgot to do something. When I got to the office, I found that I actually did it. I don't even remember doing it. Oh well.

After my trip to the office, I changed into my running shoes. I started running around 6 a.m. I watched Patton on AMC and ran 10 miles this morning on the treadmill. It was nice run. I'm so glad to have my run out of the way for today. My plans for the rest of the day is to run some errands with my husband, nap, read and watch Glee tonight. Again, I'm a geek.

Before going over to my mom's house for Thanksgiving, I will be running my own Turkey Trot. I usually run 5K's for fun on holidays. Run in the morning, eat good food in the afternoon and watch the Lions play football.

I know my Wisconsin readers may not like this, but I hope Brett Favre wins his 4th MVP title this year. I am a Detroit Lions fan, which isn't saying much and I have always liked Brett Favre. Even when the Green Bay Packers destroyed the Lions in games, which was often. He is still a great player, even at the age of 40. He had a great game Sunday against the Seahawks and I hope he continues to do well the rest of the season. I would love to see the Vikings in the Super Bowl against Indianapolis.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone.

Books read in 2009

I finished reading The Day Kennedy Was Shot by Jim Bishop on November 22. November 22 was the 46th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. I thought it was a great book that covered that long day in Dallas and in Washington D.C. The book started at 7 a.m. in the Kennedy's hotel suite and ended on November 23, 1963 at 3 a.m. with Jackie and Bobby looking at Jack in the casket in the White House.


America's Queen, Sarah Bradford
Deadhouse: Life in a Coroner's Office, John Temple
Marilyn's Last Words, Matthew Smith
Corpse: Nature, Forensics and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death, Jessica Snyder Sachs
Rage and Glory: The Volatile Life and Career of George C. Scott, David Sheward
Sinatra in Hollywood, Tom Santopietro
How Not to Die: Surprising Lessons on Living Longer, Safer, and Healthier from America's Favorite Medical Examiner, Jan Garavaglia, M.D.
Pieces of My Heart: A Life, Robert J. Wagner & Scott Eyman
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice, Maureen McCormick
Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed, Michelle Morgan
Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Crimes Of Style: Urban Graffiti and the Politics of Criminality, Jeff Ferrell
Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York, Craig Castleman
Freight Train Graffiti, Roger Gastman, Darin Rowland & Ian Sattler
The Birth of Graffiti, Jon Naar
Subway Art, Martha Cooper & Henry Chalfant
Graffiti NYC, Hugo Martinez
A Portrait of Joan: The Autobiography of Joan Crawford, Joan Crawford & Jane Kesner Ardmore
Mrs. Lincoln: A Life, Catherine Clinton
Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism, Susan Ware
The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough
Who Killed Bobby? The Unsolved Murder of Robert F. Kennedy, Shane O'Sullivan
Last Flight, Amelia Earhart
The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart, Mary S. Lovell
Eisenhower, Geoffrey Perret
Seabiscuit: An American Legend, Laura Hillenbrand
Lindbergh, A. Scott Berg
The Kennedy Men: 1901-1963, Laurence Leamer
The Royals, Kitty Kelley
The Reader, Bernhard Schlink
Marilyn Revealed: The Ambitious Life of an American Icon, Ted Schwarz
The Kennedy Women, Laurence Leamer
The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate's Deep Throat, Bob Woodward
Case Closed, Gerald Posner
All the President's Men, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein (again)
The Final Days, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer
I Was Amelia Earhart, Jane Mendelsohn
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
Amelia Earhart: The Final Story, Vincent V. Loomis
The Day Kennedy Was Shot, Jim Bishop

Currently Reading: Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved, Elgen M. Long & Marie K. Long
Up Next: East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart, Susan Butler

Fletch

When I was younger my mom bought the movie, Fletch Lives (1989), starting Chevy Chase. My sisters and I would watch the movie frequently. It is hilarious. It was only in the '90s that I realized it was a sequel. The first movie in the series Fletch was released in 1985. Over the weekend I watched Fletch again. It is still funny after all of these years. Chevy Chase is great in both Fletch movies.

I learned over the weekend through one of my favorite websites The Internet Movie Database or IMDb that a new Fletch movie, Fletch Won, will be coming out in 2011. This movie is a prequel to the others. Director Kevin Smith wants to use a younger guy to play Fletch. Chase has hinted he's in talks to reclaim his role according to this report. I would love to see Chase back in his famous role. If anyone else is casted as Fletch, I won't see the movie.

Trailer from Fletch (1985)



Trailer from Fletch Lives (1989)

Featured on Indieink

A photo of mine is featured today on the website, Indie Ink. It was taken on my trip to Boston back in September. The photo is a reflection of an apartment building in a window from the Beacon Hill area. To view the image go here.

Books read in 2009

America's Queen, Sarah Bradford
Deadhouse: Life in a Coroner's Office, John Temple
Marilyn's Last Words, Matthew Smith
Corpse: Nature, Forensics and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death, Jessica Snyder Sachs
Rage and Glory: The Volatile Life and Career of George C. Scott, David Sheward
Sinatra in Hollywood, Tom Santopietro
How Not to Die: Surprising Lessons on Living Longer, Safer, and Healthier from America's Favorite Medical Examiner, Jan Garavaglia, M.D.
Pieces of My Heart: A Life, Robert J. Wagner & Scott Eyman
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice, Maureen McCormick
Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed, Michelle Morgan
Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Crimes Of Style: Urban Graffiti and the Politics of Criminality, Jeff Ferrell
Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York, Craig Castleman
Freight Train Graffiti, Roger Gastman, Darin Rowland & Ian Sattler
The Birth of Graffiti, Jon Naar
Subway Art, Martha Cooper & Henry Chalfant
Graffiti NYC, Hugo Martinez
A Portrait of Joan: The Autobiography of Joan Crawford, Joan Crawford & Jane Kesner Ardmore
Mrs. Lincoln: A Life, Catherine Clinton
Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism, Susan Ware
The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough
Who Killed Bobby? The Unsolved Murder of Robert F. Kennedy, Shane O'Sullivan
Last Flight, Amelia Earhart
The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart, Mary S. Lovell
Eisenhower, Geoffrey Perret
Seabiscuit: An American Legend, Laura Hillenbrand
Lindbergh, A. Scott Berg
The Kennedy Men: 1901-1963, Laurence Leamer
The Royals, Kitty Kelley
The Reader, Bernhard Schlink
Marilyn Revealed: The Ambitious Life of an American Icon, Ted Schwarz
The Kennedy Women, Laurence Leamer
The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate's Deep Throat, Bob Woodward
Case Closed, Gerald Posner
All the President's Men, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein (again)
The Final Days, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer
I Was Amelia Earhart, Jane Mendelsohn
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
Amelia Earhart: The Final Story, Vincent V. Loomis

Currently Reading: The Day Kennedy Was Shot, Jim Bishop
Up Next: Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved, Elgen M. Long & Marie K. Long

Beacon Street - Boston, MA

Books read in 2009

It felt like it took me months to finish Wuthering Heights. Actually it was a couple of weeks. I watched the movie before reading the book. The movie was easy to follow and Ralph Fiennes played Heathcliff. The book for me was hard to follow. The book had two narrators, Mr. Lockwood and Nelly, and flashbacks. Sometimes I didn't know who was telling the story. Also, Hareton's dialogue was not easy to read since he was uneducated. The book is a classic and I finished it. But I would rather watch the movie instead of reading this book again.


America's Queen, Sarah Bradford
Deadhouse: Life in a Coroner's Office, John Temple
Marilyn's Last Words, Matthew Smith
Corpse: Nature, Forensics and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death, Jessica Snyder Sachs
Rage and Glory: The Volatile Life and Career of George C. Scott, David Sheward
Sinatra in Hollywood, Tom Santopietro
How Not to Die: Surprising Lessons on Living Longer, Safer, and Healthier from America's Favorite Medical Examiner, Jan Garavaglia, M.D.
Pieces of My Heart: A Life, Robert J. Wagner & Scott Eyman
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice, Maureen McCormick
Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed, Michelle Morgan
Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Crimes Of Style: Urban Graffiti and the Politics of Criminality, Jeff Ferrell
Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York, Craig Castleman
Freight Train Graffiti, Roger Gastman, Darin Rowland & Ian Sattler
The Birth of Graffiti, Jon Naar
Subway Art, Martha Cooper & Henry Chalfant
Graffiti NYC, Hugo Martinez
A Portrait of Joan: The Autobiography of Joan Crawford, Joan Crawford & Jane Kesner Ardmore
Mrs. Lincoln: A Life, Catherine Clinton
Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism, Susan Ware
The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough
Who Killed Bobby? The Unsolved Murder of Robert F. Kennedy, Shane O'Sullivan
Last Flight, Amelia Earhart
The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart, Mary S. Lovell
Eisenhower, Geoffrey Perret
Seabiscuit: An American Legend, Laura Hillenbrand
Lindbergh, A. Scott Berg
The Kennedy Men: 1901-1963, Laurence Leamer
The Royals, Kitty Kelley
The Reader, Bernhard Schlink
Marilyn Revealed: The Ambitious Life of an American Icon, Ted Schwarz
The Kennedy Women, Laurence Leamer
The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate's Deep Throat, Bob Woodward
Case Closed, Gerald Posner
All the President's Men, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein (again)
The Final Days, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer
I Was Amelia Earhart, Jane Mendelsohn
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

Currently Reading: Amelia Earhart: The Final Story, Vincent V. Loomis
Up Next: The Day Kennedy Was Shot, Jim Bishop

What I have been doing

Two football teams and one volleyball team. Those are the only fall sports teams still active. The volleyball team plays tomorrow in a regional final. The two football teams play in a regional final Friday.

We are nearing the end of the fall season and I can see its closing on the horizon. In the past there has always been a week or two break between the end of the fall season and the start of the winter season. There is no break this year. The local colleges started their winter seasons last week. It was only this week that they have had home contests. In a couple of weeks, the local high schools will start their winter season games. It is a never ending cycle. But it is also my job. I photograph a sporting activity year round. Sometimes it is nice to take a break from it all.

My original plan for this week was to photograph three games. After Tuesday's volleyball games, drive time and editing that took a total of 6 hours, my plans were changed. I realized that I wouldn't have enough hours for Friday's football game if I photographed the regional final volleyball tomorrow. I gave up the assignment to another photographer. By doing that, I can save hours and the gas in my car for Friday's football game when I will be driving 85 miles one way. I will spend almost four hours driving and maybe 1.5 hours or less at the game.

I was so happy that there weren't any local games tonight that needed to be covered. With my evening off from work, I got in an 11 mile run. Now my Thursday night is free as well, I plan on a shorter run and maybe watching a movie. Like I said before, its always nice to get a break. I try to make the most of my evenings off from work. With the winter sports season going to be in full swing soon, I won't have many evenings off. I need to enjoy them now.

Miles run in 2009

Over this past weekend, I did it. I have run over 1000 miles this year. It feels really great to finally reach it. A couple of factors really helped me reach my New Year's goal. In July, I started running 30 miles a week and 6 days a week. That was all due to my half marathon training. Now that I'm officially over the milestone, I will try to keep reaching 30 miles every week. If I happen to fall short during a week, it will be okay. But I don't plan to slack off any time soon. I will still be running 6 days a week and will be training for another half marathon in 2010.

2004: 250.6
2005: 310.8
2006: 418.0
2007: 487.5
2008: 845.0
2009: 1009.6

Cross Country state finals

Saturday will be a busy one for me. I will be photographing the Michigan Cross Country State Finals at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. I will be shooting the Division 3 and Division 4 boys and girls races. Three boys qualified individually in Division 2, but there is a two hour gap in between the last race of the morning until their race. Sadly, I will be missing their race. Sorry. So many teams and individuals from the county qualified in the Division 3/4 races. I will have to be on the lookout for all of them. And I will be able to pick them out with no problems.

Besides photographing a cross country state final (which is awesome to begin with) I will be seeing some great runners. Between the years of 2004-2006, I saw Marissa Treece from Maple City Glen Lake jump out to an early lead each time and hold it to become a 3-time Division 4 State Champion. Marissa is currently a junior at the University of Notre Dame. She is consistently one of their top runners. Two years ago, I saw Maverick Darling from Ovid-Elsie High School blow away the competition. He had the fastest 5K time of the day, 14:52:8. Maverick now runs at the University of Wisconsin and was just named the 2009 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. It is fun to see the top runners before they make it big in college.

Another thing I love about shooting at the state final is riding on the track. The state final takes place at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. The photographers ride in media vans and they shuttle us to a couple of locations on the course. We make a total of four stops. To reach the fourth stop, the finish line, the driver of the van has to drive on the track. Once we leave mile mark 2 and the accerlator is stomped on. We follow a path that leads us to a gate opening near turn 2 and we make a left hand turn onto the track. The van does about 80 m.p.h. going around turn 2 and turn 1 to make sure we beat the runners back to the finish line. That is the closest I'll ever get to driving on a NASCAR race track and it is pretty neat. It is one of the highlights on my day.

Ann Arbor

My husband and I will be traveling north to Ann Arbor in a couple of hours. We live about 40 minutes south and we rarely go to there. If we want to go shopping, we always drive down to Toledo, Ohio. I guess it is because we know that city better and where all of our favorite stores are located.

The last time I drove to Ann Arbor, not for work purposes, was in 2006. I met Stacy, author of Jurgen Nation, and we went on a photo trip together. We picked a couple of locations around the city and photographed anything that we saw. I was sad when she moved to California. I lost my photo buddy.

I have been wanting to go back to Ann Arbor to shoot, but haven't had the time. Today is not one of those days. The whole reason we are taking the trip is so my husband can try to sell some of his grandfather's records. Once the records are taken care of, then we will grab some lunch. Before we leave Ann Arbor, I hope to go by The Big House.


Photo from Ann Arbor 2006:

Pink - Adrian, MI

Miles run in 2009

I have beaten last year's mileage. And I still have two months left this year. Last year my total mileage for the year was 960.2. With Sunday's 5 mile run, my total is 979.4. I am very happy. My goal for this year was to reach 1000 miles. I can safely say that I will meet that and pass it. Earlier this year, I didn't think I would reach it. With plantar fasciitis behind me, I can now say how hard that injury was for me. There were days when my heel hurt so much that I didn't want to run. But I did. And I continue to do so.

2004: 244.5
2005: 299.2
2006: 408.8
2007: 825.8
2008: 475.3
2009: 979.4