John S. Gray Branch I - Detroit Public Library - Detroit, MI

Game 4

todaysfastbreak.com

The Indiana Fever women's basketball team defeated Minnesota Lynx 75-69 Sunday to force the series to a Game 5 in the WNBA Finals.

The Fever were behind in the series to Minnesota 2-1 Sunday. If the Lynx won, the series would have ended. The Fever were able to hold off the Lynx in Game 4 to tie the series at two games a piece. With the series tied, the winner of tonight's game will be in the WNBA champions.

Shenise Johnson scored 15 points and Marissa Coleman had 14 points to lead the way for the Fever. Minnesota's Maya Moore led all scorers with 20 points. 

Game 5 will be played tonight in Minnesota at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN 2.

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen  
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan   
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock  
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin  
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade   
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross
Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, David Balzer
Dead Center, Shiya Ribowsky
The Monopolists, Mary Pilon
Silent Witnesses: The Often Gruesome but Always Fascinating History of Forensic Science, Nigel McCrery
Lives of the Artists: Portraits of Ten Artists Whose Work and Lifestyles Embody the Future of Contemporary Art, Calvin Tompkins
Sin, Shame & Secrets: A True Story of the Murder of a Nun, the Conviction of a Priest, and the Cover-up in the Catholic Church, David Yonke
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artist, edited by Sharon Louden 
Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital, Alex Beam
Look Who's Back, Timur Vermes 
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
Big Eyes: The Screenplay, Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
Grace: Her Lives, Her Loves, Robert Lacey
Emergency 24/7: Nurses of the Emergency Room, Echo Heron
Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs, Sally Mann
The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital, Alexandra Robbins
Conspiracies and Secret Societies, Brad Steiger & Sherry Steiger
Lights & Sirens: The Education of a Paramedic, Kevin Grange
Undertakings of an Undertaker: True Stories of Being Laid to Rest, Stanley Swan  
Unashamed, Jessie Minassian
Rediscover Catholicism, Matthew Kelly
The Unveiled Wife, Jennifer Smith & Juli Slattery
When Sorry Isn't Enough, Gary D. Chapman & Jennifer M. Thomas
Growing Up Amish: A Memoir, Ira Wagler
Quiet Strength, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Uncommon, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Longing for Paris, Sarah Mae
Brave Enough, Nicole Unice
Your Life Still Counts, Tracie Miles  
Watchmen, Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
Fast Girl, Suzy Favor Hamilton
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Frank Miller, Klaus Janson & Lynn Varley
Street God, Dimas Salaberrios 
Wild at Heart, John Eldridge 
Captivating, John & Stasi Eldredge 
Taming the To-Do List, Glynnis Whitwer
The Mended Heart, Suzanne Eller

Currently Reading: Simply Tuesday, Emily P. Freeman

Michigan football

Michigan Wolverines, #18 AP Poll,  football team defeated Northwestern , #13 AP Poll, Saturday, 38-0. It was the third consecutive shutout since 1980. The Wolverines scored one touchdown on offense, defense and special teams in the same game for the first time since 2003. Michigan racked up 380 total yards, 201 rushing and 179 passing, and held Northwestern to 168 total yards. On Sunday, Michigan moved up in the AP Poll to #12.

Michigan hosts Michigan State next week at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Game 3

Game 3 of the WNBA finals takes place tonight in Indianapolis at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN 2. The series between Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx is tied at one game a piece.

I am a fan of both teams, but I would like to see Minnesota win the game and the series.

Michigan Football

umichathetics/Instagram

The Michigan Wolverines football team climbed four spots in the AP Top 25 Poll to #18. They were previously #22. Michigan moved up in the poll after defeating Maryland Saturday 28-0. That was Michigan's second straight shut out win. The last time Michigan had back-to-back shutouts was October 2000. With the win, the Wolverines record is now 4-1.

Michigan hosts Northwestern next Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen  
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan   
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock  
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin  
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade   
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross
Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, David Balzer
Dead Center, Shiya Ribowsky
The Monopolists, Mary Pilon
Silent Witnesses: The Often Gruesome but Always Fascinating History of Forensic Science, Nigel McCrery
Lives of the Artists: Portraits of Ten Artists Whose Work and Lifestyles Embody the Future of Contemporary Art, Calvin Tompkins
Sin, Shame & Secrets: A True Story of the Murder of a Nun, the Conviction of a Priest, and the Cover-up in the Catholic Church, David Yonke
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artist, edited by Sharon Louden 
Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital, Alex Beam
Look Who's Back, Timur Vermes 
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
Big Eyes: The Screenplay, Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
Grace: Her Lives, Her Loves, Robert Lacey
Emergency 24/7: Nurses of the Emergency Room, Echo Heron
Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs, Sally Mann
The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital, Alexandra Robbins
Conspiracies and Secret Societies, Brad Steiger & Sherry Steiger
Lights & Sirens: The Education of a Paramedic, Kevin Grange
Undertakings of an Undertaker: True Stories of Being Laid to Rest, Stanley Swan  
Unashamed, Jessie Minassian
Rediscover Catholicism, Matthew Kelly
The Unveiled Wife, Jennifer Smith & Juli Slattery
When Sorry Isn't Enough, Gary D. Chapman & Jennifer M. Thomas
Growing Up Amish: A Memoir, Ira Wagler
Quiet Strength, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Uncommon, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Longing for Paris, Sarah Mae
Brave Enough, Nicole Unice
Your Life Still Counts, Tracie Miles  
Watchmen, Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
Fast Girl, Suzy Favor Hamilton
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Frank Miller, Klaus Janson & Lynn Varley
Street God, Dimas Salaberrios 
Wild at Heart, John Eldridge 
Captivating, John & Stasi Eldredge 
Taming the To-Do List, Glynnis Whitwer

Currently Reading: The Mended Heart, Suzanne Eller

WNBA Finals

USA Today Sports/Brad Rempel

The WNBA Finals Game 1 took place Sunday in Minneapolis, Minnesota between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx. How the teams reached the finals: Indiana Fever defeated the New York Liberty 66-51 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals last Tuesday. The Minnesota Lynx defeated the Phoenix Mercury 72-71 Sunday, September 27 to sweep the in the Western Conference Finals series.

The Fever defeated the Lynx 75-69 in a very close Game 1. Briann January was the leading scorer for the Fever with 19 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals. Marissa Coleman added another 16 points for Indiana as well. The Lynx's Maya Moore led all scorers with 27 points and 12 rebounds.

Game 2 of the WNBA Finals will be played Tuesday in Minneapolis at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN 2.

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen  
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan   
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock  
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin  
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade   
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross
Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, David Balzer
Dead Center, Shiya Ribowsky
The Monopolists, Mary Pilon
Silent Witnesses: The Often Gruesome but Always Fascinating History of Forensic Science, Nigel McCrery
Lives of the Artists: Portraits of Ten Artists Whose Work and Lifestyles Embody the Future of Contemporary Art, Calvin Tompkins
Sin, Shame & Secrets: A True Story of the Murder of a Nun, the Conviction of a Priest, and the Cover-up in the Catholic Church, David Yonke
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artist, edited by Sharon Louden 
Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital, Alex Beam
Look Who's Back, Timur Vermes 
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
Big Eyes: The Screenplay, Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
Grace: Her Lives, Her Loves, Robert Lacey
Emergency 24/7: Nurses of the Emergency Room, Echo Heron
Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs, Sally Mann
The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital, Alexandra Robbins
Conspiracies and Secret Societies, Brad Steiger & Sherry Steiger
Lights & Sirens: The Education of a Paramedic, Kevin Grange
Undertakings of an Undertaker: True Stories of Being Laid to Rest, Stanley Swan  
Unashamed, Jessie Minassian
Rediscover Catholicism, Matthew Kelly
The Unveiled Wife, Jennifer Smith & Juli Slattery
When Sorry Isn't Enough, Gary D. Chapman & Jennifer M. Thomas
Growing Up Amish: A Memoir, Ira Wagler
Quiet Strength, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Uncommon, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Longing for Paris, Sarah Mae
Brave Enough, Nicole Unice
Your Life Still Counts, Tracie Miles Watchmen, Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
Fast Girl, Suzy Favor Hamilton
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Frank Miller, Klaus Janson & Lynn Varley

Currently Reading: Street God, Dimas Salaberrios

Other Desert Cities

I went to a local college, Siena Heights University, last Thursday to see Other Desert Cities.

From Siena's website the synopsis of Other Desert Cities is "Brooke Wyeth returns home to Palm Springs after a six-year absence to celebrate Christmas.  Brooke announces that she is about to publish a memoir dredging up a pivotal and tragic event in the family's history — a wound they don't want reopened. In effect, she draws a line in the sand and dares them all to cross it".

 The play was held in Siena's Stubnitz Lab Theater. It is much smaller and more intimite then their Performing Arts Center. I arrived close to curtain time and sat in the front row to the left of the stage. It was neat to be very close to the actors and stage. Usually when I go to plays, I sit in the middle or back of the theater. Sitting right next to the stage gave me a different perspective of the play. 

Other Deserts Cities is a play by Jon Robin Baitz. The play was a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play at Siena Heights University was directed by Mark DiPietro.

WNBA Conference Finals - Game 2

Game 2 of the WNBA Eastern and Western Conference finals took place Sunday. The Indiana Fever hosted the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx traveled to Phoenix Mercury.

The Indiana Fever came back from being down 15 points to win Game 2 70-64 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Liberty. The Fever win forced a Game 3 which will take place Tuesday in New York at Madison Square Garden. Leading the way for the Fever was Tamika Catchings with 25 points and for the Liberty, Tina Charles also had 25 points.

Game 3 will be played Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The Minnesota Lynx won Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals 72-71 to sweep the series with the Phoenix Mercury. Lynx player Maya Moore lead all scorers with 40 points. Moore was fouled with 1.5 seconds left in the game. Moore hit 1-of-2 free throws to clinch the win for the Lynx.

The Lynx will await the winner of Tuesday's Indiana Fever vs New York Liberty contest to find out who they will meet in the WNBA finals.

Eastern Conference Finals

New York Liberty defeated Washington Mystics Tuesday night 79-74 to advance to the WNBA Eastern Conference Finals. The Liberty will host Indiana Fever tonight in New York City at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN 2.

I'm a Liberty fan and would love to see Coach Bill Laimbeer take them to the WNBA finals. Laimbeer won three WNBA titles coaching the Detroit Shock in 2003, 2006 and 2008.

Oiselle meetup

I met up with a group of Oiselle Team Michigan members Sunday. We met for brunch at Sava's in Ann Arbor. A few of us already knew one another, so introductions were made. The conversation that dominated the brunch was running and when we were all going to meet up again. It sounds like a bunch of us are going to run some races together soon.

It was nice to meet a few of ladies from the team and we had a good time. Looking forward to the next meetup.

In the first photo, I have my hands on Andrea's shoulders for balance. I was standing on my toes to see over her head. I'm really not that tall. :)

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen  
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan   
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock  
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin  
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade   
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross
Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, David Balzer
Dead Center, Shiya Ribowsky
The Monopolists, Mary Pilon
Silent Witnesses: The Often Gruesome but Always Fascinating History of Forensic Science, Nigel McCrery
Lives of the Artists: Portraits of Ten Artists Whose Work and Lifestyles Embody the Future of Contemporary Art, Calvin Tompkins
Sin, Shame & Secrets: A True Story of the Murder of a Nun, the Conviction of a Priest, and the Cover-up in the Catholic Church, David Yonke
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artist, edited by Sharon Louden 
Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital, Alex Beam
Look Who's Back, Timur Vermes 
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
Big Eyes: The Screenplay, Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
Grace: Her Lives, Her Loves, Robert Lacey
Emergency 24/7: Nurses of the Emergency Room, Echo Heron
Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs, Sally Mann
The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital, Alexandra Robbins
Conspiracies and Secret Societies, Brad Steiger & Sherry Steiger
Lights & Sirens: The Education of a Paramedic, Kevin Grange
Undertakings of an Undertaker: True Stories of Being Laid to Rest, Stanley Swan  
Unashamed, Jessie Minassian
Rediscover Catholicism, Matthew Kelly
The Unveiled Wife, Jennifer Smith & Juli Slattery
When Sorry Isn't Enough, Gary D. Chapman & Jennifer M. Thomas
Growing Up Amish: A Memoir, Ira Wagler
Quiet Strength, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Uncommon, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Longing for Paris, Sarah Mae
Brave Enough, Nicole Unice
Your Life Still Counts, Tracie Miles Watchmen, Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
Fast Girl, Suzy Favor Hamilton


Currently Reading: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Frank Miller, Klaus Janson & Lynn Varley

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen  
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan   
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock  
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin  
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade   
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross
Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, David Balzer
Dead Center, Shiya Ribowsky
The Monopolists, Mary Pilon
Silent Witnesses: The Often Gruesome but Always Fascinating History of Forensic Science, Nigel McCrery
Lives of the Artists: Portraits of Ten Artists Whose Work and Lifestyles Embody the Future of Contemporary Art, Calvin Tompkins
Sin, Shame & Secrets: A True Story of the Murder of a Nun, the Conviction of a Priest, and the Cover-up in the Catholic Church, David Yonke
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artist, edited by Sharon Louden 
Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital, Alex Beam
Look Who's Back, Timur Vermes 
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
Big Eyes: The Screenplay, Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
Grace: Her Lives, Her Loves, Robert Lacey
Emergency 24/7: Nurses of the Emergency Room, Echo Heron
Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs, Sally Mann
The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital, Alexandra Robbins
Conspiracies and Secret Societies, Brad Steiger & Sherry Steiger
Lights & Sirens: The Education of a Paramedic, Kevin Grange
Undertakings of an Undertaker: True Stories of Being Laid to Rest, Stanley Swan  
Unashamed, Jessie Minassian
Rediscover Catholicism, Matthew Kelly
The Unveiled Wife, Jennifer Smith & Juli Slattery
When Sorry Isn't Enough, Gary D. Chapman & Jennifer M. Thomas
Growing Up Amish: A Memoir, Ira Wagler
Quiet Strength, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Uncommon, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Longing for Paris, Sarah Mae
Brave Enough, Nicole Unice
Your Life Still Counts, Tracie Miles
Watchmen, Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

Currently Reading: Fast Girl, Suzy Favor Hamilton

Fourteen

 My husband and I got married on September 15, 2001. Life has had its shares of ups and downs. Through it all, there is no one else I would rather have by my side. Happy 14th anniversary honey!

Live Centred Half Marathon

I ran the LiveCentred Half Marathon Saturday. It was a cool and windy for the entire race. Just walking around before the race, my legs felt dead. I thought I cut back my running enough for the half, but I guess not. Besides running the half marathon Saturday morning, immediately after the half was my friend's memorial across town and following that my husband and I were celebrating our upcoming 14th wedding anniversary. So my head and heart weren't really into this race.

The race started and I was doing well. I ran the first mile in 8 minutes and was going at my pace. When we left the neighborhoods and got out into the country, we ran into a headwind for a couple of miles. The wind was really slowing me down as were all of the rolling hills of the country roads. I just kept my head down and kept running.

It seems like so many people passed me. When people passed me, they were rarely alone. It was always a group of people. I wanted to stay with all of the groups that passed me, but I couldn't. My legs couldn't go any faster. At the six mile mark, I was at about 56 or 57 minutes. Not bad. But on the back half of the course, I was dying. More and more people passed me and there was nothing I could do. I just kept telling myself, the faster I finish, the faster I can go to the memorial.

During the final mile, I was running uphill on a dirt road to turn left onto a paved one. While on the the small uphill, my legs said no more. I had to stop and walk up the hill. That was the first time in years I have walked during a half marathon. I couldn't believe it. As soon as I reached the top of the hill and stepped on the paved road, I started running again. I knew the walking slowed me down even more, but I didn't care. I just wanted to see that finish line. I continued running my slow pace and finally reached the finish line in 2:12:57. My worst half time of the year.

With this time, I know for the next half marathon to cut my miles even more leading up to the race. Maybe my legs won't be so dead before the start. Also I hope to have my head and heart in the race, but sometimes life happens. We can't always control everything in our lives. My time wasn't what I wanted, but I did finish the race and didn't get injured. So that is always a victory.

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen  
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan   
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock  
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin  
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade   
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross
Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, David Balzer
Dead Center, Shiya Ribowsky
The Monopolists, Mary Pilon
Silent Witnesses: The Often Gruesome but Always Fascinating History of Forensic Science, Nigel McCrery
Lives of the Artists: Portraits of Ten Artists Whose Work and Lifestyles Embody the Future of Contemporary Art, Calvin Tompkins
Sin, Shame & Secrets: A True Story of the Murder of a Nun, the Conviction of a Priest, and the Cover-up in the Catholic Church, David Yonke
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artist, edited by Sharon Louden 
Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital, Alex Beam
Look Who's Back, Timur Vermes 
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
Big Eyes: The Screenplay, Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
Grace: Her Lives, Her Loves, Robert Lacey
Emergency 24/7: Nurses of the Emergency Room, Echo Heron
Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs, Sally Mann
The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital, Alexandra Robbins
Conspiracies and Secret Societies, Brad Steiger & Sherry Steiger
Lights & Sirens: The Education of a Paramedic, Kevin Grange
Undertakings of an Undertaker: True Stories of Being Laid to Rest, Stanley Swan  
Unashamed, Jessie Minassian
Rediscover Catholicism, Matthew Kelly
The Unveiled Wife, Jennifer Smith & Juli Slattery
When Sorry Isn't Enough, Gary D. Chapman & Jennifer M. Thomas
Growing Up Amish: A Memoir, Ira Wagler
Quiet Strength, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Uncommon, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Longing for Paris, Sarah Mae
Brave Enough, Nicole Unice
Your Life Still Counts, Tracie Miles

Currently Reading: Watchmen, Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

Fulton County Fair

Cartoon- Third Place

Fantasy - Second Place

Colored drawing - Second Place

Acrylic - Third Place

Action

Portrait

Close up - Second Place

I entered three photographs, three drawings and one painting to the Fulton County Fair this year. I have been attending the Fulton County Fair since I was a kid. While walking through the Fine Arts building last year, I asked the superintendent if you had to be a Fulton County resident to enter items, she said no. So I decided to enter items this year. I like having my worked judged. I wish that instead of turning them in, we got a critique with the judges. I do like hearing how I can improve my photos or art. 

EMU XC Celebration

The University of Michigan men's and women's cross country teams open their 2015 season at the Eastern Michigan University Celebration in Ypsilanti, Michigan at Eagle Crest Golf Course. Michigan's Mason Ferlic and Erin Finn were the overall winners. Ferlic won the 5000 meter race in 14:56.1 and Finn set an unofficial record winning in 16:54.9. The meet was a non-scoring event.


Michigan's men's team runs again on September 11 at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational i State College, Pennsylvania and the women run again on September 19 at the Commodore Classic in Nashville, Tennessee.

A highlight of the day was when I tweeted that Erin Finn walked by me but I was too shy to say hello. Finn favored that tweet a short time later. When the women's teams were doing their final run outs prior to the race, Finn and I saw each other and waved. Technology is neat.

John

My friend John died Thursday. He was 59.

We were close friends for almost 16 years. We worked together frequently in the mornings at the office and at night at sporting events. John was a big fan of track and field and cross country. There were plenty of times we were on the phone talking to each other about track. Besides talking about sports, we talked about plenty of other things too. It wouldn't take long before both of us were laughing at something.

I haven't worked with John in almost two years, but we still kept in touch. Most recently with phone calls and having lunch together. He was someone who would always listen and offer advise. The last time I talked to him was about a week and half ago. We were talking about cross country, football and the track and field world championships. Our conversation ended with both of us saying, 'talk to you later'. I'm sad that I never got the chance to. I attended the EMU XC Celebration on Saturday in Ypsilanti, MI. During the meet, all I thought about was if he were still alive, I would be calling him later. I would have told him about the meet and people that I saw and talked to. The one person I wanted to tell about the meet, I couldn't. It is very difficult knowing that he is not just a phone call away anymore.

I will miss him a lot. I will miss our conversations about sports, life and nothing in particular. He was a great guy and no one will be able to replace him.

Batman sketches

Just a couple of quick Batman sketches I did over the weekend. I didn't spend too much time on them. Only about 10 minutes. Hoping to improve my drawing skills of Batman.

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen  
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan   
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock  
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin  
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade   
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross
Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, David Balzer
Dead Center, Shiya Ribowsky
The Monopolists, Mary Pilon
Silent Witnesses: The Often Gruesome but Always Fascinating History of Forensic Science, Nigel McCrery
Lives of the Artists: Portraits of Ten Artists Whose Work and Lifestyles Embody the Future of Contemporary Art, Calvin Tompkins
Sin, Shame & Secrets: A True Story of the Murder of a Nun, the Conviction of a Priest, and the Cover-up in the Catholic Church, David Yonke
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artist, edited by Sharon Louden 
Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital, Alex Beam
Look Who's Back, Timur Vermes 
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
Big Eyes: The Screenplay, Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
Grace: Her Lives, Her Loves, Robert Lacey
Emergency 24/7: Nurses of the Emergency Room, Echo Heron
Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs, Sally Mann
The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital, Alexandra Robbins
Conspiracies and Secret Societies, Brad Steiger & Sherry Steiger
Lights & Sirens: The Education of a Paramedic, Kevin Grange
Undertakings of an Undertaker: True Stories of Being Laid to Rest, Stanley Swan  
Unashamed, Jessie Minassian
Rediscover Catholicism, Matthew Kelly
The Unveiled Wife, Jennifer Smith & Juli Slattery
When Sorry Isn't Enough, Gary D. Chapman & Jennifer M. Thomas
Growing Up Amish: A Memoir, Ira Wagler
Quiet Strength, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Uncommon, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Longing for Paris, Sarah Mae
Brave Enough, Nicole Unice

Currently Reading: Your Life Still Counts, Tracie Miles

Batman

I have been looking at Batman images recently on Pinterest. Growing up I loved watching Batman: The Animated Series. That cartoon was on the air from 1992-1995. I watched that show when I got home from school in junior high. I had to let it go when I had sports practice or games after school.

I went to look at comics last Friday after an appointment. I wasn't looking for anything in particular. While looking at a room full of comics, I found some Batman ones. I bought a Batman and a Robocop comic. I bought them to mainly look at the drawings and to study them. I will end up reading them at one point. Later that day while at the grocery store, I saw a couple of Batman graphic novels. I decided to pass on them since I just bought the comics. On Saturday morning, I went back to the store and bought one of the graphic novels.

My drawings, sketches and paintings for a while will focus on Batman. I'm hoping that I don't get sick of him. I want to have a collection of items to choose from for next year's county fairs. Not everything I submit to the fairs will be of Batman, but I like him and so do a lot of other people. Anything that brings a smile to my face, I love to create as art.

Art classes

I received an email from the Ann Arbor Art Center last week about upcoming fall classes. I love learning and I am interested in taking classes. I am interested in a couple of classes.

The first class I really want to take is Character Development with Jerzy Drozd. It is a class for developing your own characters to tell a story. The class with draw the characters on paper and then digitize them on illustration software, Manga Studio. I am really interested learning a new software program.

Digital Illustrated Storytelling is another class taught by Jerzy Drozd. This class uses Manga Studio again to illustrate characters. It feels like part two of the Character Development class.

Another class taught by Jerzy Drozd is Illustrated Storytelling. It helps artists create compelling visual stories. I think it would be fun since I love drawing cartoon animals and people.

The class I should really take is Basics of Acrylic Painting for Beginners. I really want to learn to paint by mixing colors and shades. My painting skills now are really basic, but what I'm painting, it works for me and I like my paintings.

I would love to take any of these classes like beginning watercolor, into to life drawing, figure study, manga studio , design your own heroes and villains, graphic novel academy (too bad these last three classes are only for teens).

I see myself taking many classes at A2Art Center in the near future.

Goth rabbit

I finished this charcoal drawing last weekend. It is of a sad, goth rabbit that is feeling alone. It is stitched and taped up, but still sad. I loved how it turned out. I'm proud of this piece.

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen  
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan   
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock  
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin  
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade   
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross
Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, David Balzer
Dead Center, Shiya Ribowsky
The Monopolists, Mary Pilon
Silent Witnesses: The Often Gruesome but Always Fascinating History of Forensic Science, Nigel McCrery
Lives of the Artists: Portraits of Ten Artists Whose Work and Lifestyles Embody the Future of Contemporary Art, Calvin Tompkins
Sin, Shame & Secrets: A True Story of the Murder of a Nun, the Conviction of a Priest, and the Cover-up in the Catholic Church, David Yonke
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artist, edited by Sharon Louden 
Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital, Alex Beam
Look Who's Back, Timur Vermes 
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
Big Eyes: The Screenplay, Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
Grace: Her Lives, Her Loves, Robert Lacey
Emergency 24/7: Nurses of the Emergency Room, Echo Heron
Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs, Sally Mann
The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital, Alexandra Robbins
Conspiracies and Secret Societies, Brad Steiger & Sherry Steiger
Lights & Sirens: The Education of a Paramedic, Kevin Grange
Undertakings of an Undertaker: True Stories of Being Laid to Rest, Stanley Swan  
Unashamed, Jessie Minassian
Rediscover Catholicism, Matthew Kelly
The Unveiled Wife, Jennifer Smith & Juli Slattery
When Sorry Isn't Enough, Gary D. Chapman & Jennifer M. Thomas
Growing Up Amish: A Memoir, Ira Wagler
Quiet Strength, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Uncommon, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Longing for Paris, Sarah Mae

Currently Reading: Brave Enough, Nicole Unice

Raggedy Rabbit acrylic painting

I finished this acrylic painting of a raggedy rabbit last week. I found a picture of this rabbit online a while ago. I decided to draw and paint it because it looks how I have been feeling. The last few months have been very tough for me. Slowly, it feels like I'm coming out of the dark and becoming myself again. I'm getting stitched up again like this rabbit was. I'm becoming whole again, but not the way I was before. I'm still not where I need to be, but with God's grace and time, I'm getting closer with every step.

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen  
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan   
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock  
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin  
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade   
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross
Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, David Balzer
Dead Center, Shiya Ribowsky
The Monopolists, Mary Pilon
Silent Witnesses: The Often Gruesome but Always Fascinating History of Forensic Science, Nigel McCrery
Lives of the Artists: Portraits of Ten Artists Whose Work and Lifestyles Embody the Future of Contemporary Art, Calvin Tompkins
Sin, Shame & Secrets: A True Story of the Murder of a Nun, the Conviction of a Priest, and the Cover-up in the Catholic Church, David Yonke
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artist, edited by Sharon Louden 
Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital, Alex Beam
Look Who's Back, Timur Vermes 
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
Big Eyes: The Screenplay, Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
Grace: Her Lives, Her Loves, Robert Lacey
Emergency 24/7: Nurses of the Emergency Room, Echo Heron
Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs, Sally Mann
The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital, Alexandra Robbins
Conspiracies and Secret Societies, Brad Steiger & Sherry Steiger
Lights & Sirens: The Education of a Paramedic, Kevin Grange
Undertakings of an Undertaker: True Stories of Being Laid to Rest, Stanley Swan  
Unashamed, Jessie Minassian
Rediscover Catholicism, Matthew Kelly
The Unveiled Wife, Jennifer Smith & Juli Slattery
When Sorry Isn't Enough, Gary D. Chapman & Jennifer M. Thomas
Growing Up Amish: A Memoir, Ira Wagler
Quiet Strength, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker
Uncommon, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker

Currently Reading: Longing for Paris, Sarah Mae

Anniversary

Over the weekend, my Mom, three of my sisters, nephew and niece had dinner together. We got together to celebrate the 17th anniversary of Dad's death.

We had a good meal, we laughed and talked. A few of my sisters said that they stopped at the cemetery to visit Dad. I didn't make it back for his anniversary. I did visit Dad on Father's Day. It just doesn't seem like he has been gone that long. We all remember that day from 1998 like it was yesterday.

It was nice to get together on his anniversary and just be together as a family. We usually try to do something together on his anniversary, but that doesn't always happen. Both of my brothers were unable to attend and another sister. It would have been great to have everyone together at dinner.

Dad

John Wayne Clark

April 10, 1942 - August 15, 1998

 

 Another year has passed. You have been missing from our lives for 17 years. Some days it feels like you left us yesterday. There are parts of me that hurt that you are still not with us. That is something I don't know if I can ever get over. We have moved on in our lives as best as we could, but our lives haven't been the same without you. 

Until we meet again. 

I miss and love you.

Those we love don't go away,

They walk beside us every day,

Unseen, unheard, but always near,

Still loved, still missed and very dear.

- Irish poem

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen  
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan   
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock  
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin  
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade   
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross
Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, David Balzer
Dead Center, Shiya Ribowsky
The Monopolists, Mary Pilon
Silent Witnesses: The Often Gruesome but Always Fascinating History of Forensic Science, Nigel McCrery
Lives of the Artists: Portraits of Ten Artists Whose Work and Lifestyles Embody the Future of Contemporary Art, Calvin Tompkins
Sin, Shame & Secrets: A True Story of the Murder of a Nun, the Conviction of a Priest, and the Cover-up in the Catholic Church, David Yonke
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artist, edited by Sharon Louden 
Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital, Alex Beam
Look Who's Back, Timur Vermes 
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
Big Eyes: The Screenplay, Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
Grace: Her Lives, Her Loves, Robert Lacey
Emergency 24/7: Nurses of the Emergency Room, Echo Heron
Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs, Sally Mann
The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital, Alexandra Robbins
Conspiracies and Secret Societies, Brad Steiger & Sherry Steiger
Lights & Sirens: The Education of a Paramedic, Kevin Grange
Undertakings of an Undertaker: True Stories of Being Laid to Rest, Stanley Swan  
Unashamed, Jessie Minassian
Rediscover Catholicism, Matthew Kelly
The Unveiled Wife, Jennifer Smith & Juli Slattery
When Sorry Isn't Enough, Gary D. Chapman & Jennifer M. Thomas
Growing Up Amish: A Memoir, Ira Wagler
Quiet Strength, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker

Currently Reading: Uncommon, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitker

Blue Powerpuff Girl

I finished an acrylic painting of the Blue Powerpuff Girl and a dog over the weekend. When the Powerpuff Girls premiered on TV in 1998, I was a sophomore in college. I have never watched the show. I saw a picture of them on the internet last week, thought that they were cute and looked easy to draw. I found a few pictures of them and decided to draw the blue girl with a dog. I liked how my sketch turned out, so I turned it into a painting. I plan on adding just a small shadow underneath the girl and dog so they are not just floating on the canvas.

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen  
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan   
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock  
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin  
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade   
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross
Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, David Balzer
Dead Center, Shiya Ribowsky
The Monopolists, Mary Pilon
Silent Witnesses: The Often Gruesome but Always Fascinating History of Forensic Science, Nigel McCrery
Lives of the Artists: Portraits of Ten Artists Whose Work and Lifestyles Embody the Future of Contemporary Art, Calvin Tompkins
Sin, Shame & Secrets: A True Story of the Murder of a Nun, the Conviction of a Priest, and the Cover-up in the Catholic Church, David Yonke
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artist, edited by Sharon Louden 
Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital, Alex Beam
Look Who's Back, Timur Vermes 
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
Big Eyes: The Screenplay, Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
Grace: Her Lives, Her Loves, Robert Lacey
Emergency 24/7: Nurses of the Emergency Room, Echo Heron
Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs, Sally Mann
The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital, Alexandra Robbins
Conspiracies and Secret Societies, Brad Steiger & Sherry Steiger
Lights & Sirens: The Education of a Paramedic, Kevin Grange
Undertakings of an Undertaker: True Stories of Being Laid to Rest, Stanley Swan  
Unashamed, Jessie Minassian
Rediscover Catholicism, Matthew Kelly
The Unveiled Wife, Jennifer Smith & Juli Slattery
When Sorry Isn't Enough, Gary D. Chapman & Jennifer M. Thomas
Growing Up Amish: A Memoir, Ira Wagler

Currently Reading: Quiet Strength, Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker

Books read in 2015

The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, Jack Olsen  
And Then I Cried: Stories of a Mortuary NCO, Justin Jordan   
Art on the Block, Ann Fensterstock  
The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, Jay Margolis & Richard Buskin  
A Family Business: A Chilling Tale of Greed as One Family Commits Unspeakable Crimes against the Dead, Ken Englade   
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, Michael Gross
Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, David Balzer
Dead Center, Shiya Ribowsky
The Monopolists, Mary Pilon
Silent Witnesses: The Often Gruesome but Always Fascinating History of Forensic Science, Nigel McCrery
Lives of the Artists: Portraits of Ten Artists Whose Work and Lifestyles Embody the Future of Contemporary Art, Calvin Tompkins
Sin, Shame & Secrets: A True Story of the Murder of a Nun, the Conviction of a Priest, and the Cover-up in the Catholic Church, David Yonke
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artist, edited by Sharon Louden 
Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital, Alex Beam
Look Who's Back, Timur Vermes 
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
Big Eyes: The Screenplay, Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
Grace: Her Lives, Her Loves, Robert Lacey
Emergency 24/7: Nurses of the Emergency Room, Echo Heron
Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs, Sally Mann
The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital, Alexandra Robbins
Conspiracies and Secret Societies, Brad Steiger & Sherry Steiger
Lights & Sirens: The Education of a Paramedic, Kevin Grange
Undertakings of an Undertaker: True Stories of Being Laid to Rest, Stanley Swan  
Unashamed, Jessie Minassian
Rediscover Catholicism, Matthew Kelly
The Unveiled Wife, Jennifer Smith & Juli Slattery



When Sorry Isn't Enough, Gary D. Chapman & Jennifer M. Thomas
 
Currently Reading: Growing Up Amish: A Memoir, Ira Wagler

Wildcat XC 5K

I ran the Wildcat XC 5K Saturday in Pittsford, MI. The morning was a little cool because I actually wore a jacket before the race started. As the time got closer to the race, it started to warm up.

I stood right on the start line when we were told to go. A bunch of people sprinted ahead of me. My legs needed a short warm up before going to work. We ran down a huge hill and that is when I passed a bunch of runners. This course is a high school cross country course located in the next county over. The course is run on grass paths in fields, a wooded area and over grass. A short section of the course was flooded, so we were sent into a soybean field. I was thankful that I wore ankle braces because running over tractor tire ruts were making me uneasy. Running out of the field, a teen boy was just ahead of me. My goal was to run him down. I was able to catch and pass him shortly before the two mile mark. Once I passed him, a teen girl was ahead of me. My next goal was to pass her.

I crossed the two mile mark in 19:04. At that point, there were so many rolling hills in the huge fields that we were running in. I told myself that we only had a mile left and to go after this girl. I could tell that the girl was slowing down and I was gaining on her. On the flat parts of the course, I was running as fast as I could because I knew more hills were coming our way. With about 400m meters to go, I was actually about 3-5 feet behind the girl. When the girl heard me, she took off. We turned a corner to head into a wooded area and she created a big gap. I was unable to keep pace with her and the big hill coming out of the wooded area took a lot out of me. Heading out of the woods, we had to run on the property line of the school. The course turned us right and made us run up another hill to the finish line. I knew someone was behind me, but I didn't know how close they were. I ran as fast as I could and finished the race in 29:59. I finished second in my age group.

As I was changing my shirt in the parking lot, the woman who finished behind me congratulated me. She said that she was trying to catch up to me and that I had a good pace. I thanked her. After the award ceremony, door prizes were handed out. My name was called and I won an apple pie. Currently it is still sitting in the refrigerator untouched.