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

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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