Wordy Wednesdays: The Spectacular Now

Book 7: I chose The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp because I saw a trailer for the film version, and it was being described as a modern day Say Anything, which is one of my favorite movies. The Spectacular Now is the story of Sutter Keely, a directionless, high school hedonist, whose only real goal is to have fun until he meets quiet, unassuming  Aimee Finicky while she delivers newspapers in the early morning hours. Sutter and Aimee are total opposites, but Sutter finds something intriguing about Aimee, and he feels that it's now his job to rescue her from her life.

Yes, this was young adult fiction, but I enjoyed it. Sutter Keely and Lloyd Dobler (from Say Anything) are kindred spirits. I could definitely see how the film version of The Spectacular Now is a lot like an updated and edgier Say Anything. I feel like I'm being a little vague here, but that's because I read the book back in November, so it's been a while. I'd recommend it unless you're totally turned off by YA books.

Valentine's Train Ride

This is way way way late, but better late than never.

For our first Valentine's Day as a married couple, we went on  Valentine's Train Ride on the SAM Shortline railway out of Cordele, GA. This excursion included a train ride over Lake Blackshear and a dinner, then a dance at the Blackshear County Club.

As you can see from the pictures below, we had a pretty good time. We were among the youngest train riders. The best part of the trip was the couple that we met on the train. They had children who are my age, and it was nice to talk to an older than us couple. We hope to still be out and about like the couple that we met. They seemed to really know how to make a marriage work.

The conductor.

Happy Couple

Dining Car

Place Setting

Lake Blackshear at Sunset

Making Each Day Count

This morning, I felt like Batman after Bane beats him up and breaks his back in The Dark Night Rises. I was planning to hit the gym early in the morning, but that did not happen. What's so sad about this is that it's not like I worked out really hard this past week. I think I made it to the gym once. I just had a crazy busy weekend is all.

I've realized though that I only have 106 days to complete my 30 Before 30 List, and so I really can't waste any more time. I've got to make each day count. My goal is to be working on one or more of my goals every day.

Today, I just want to focus on how I'm trying to reach my fitness goals. I've lost two pounds since I began, so I have 28 pounds to lose in the next 15 weeks, which is doable. It's only 2 pounds a week, but it also means that I can't just eat whatever I want or exercise only once a week. I need to be more intentional in my plan.

Sometimes, staying motivated is hard, but I'm using a tool called AchieveMint. AchieveMint communicates with other programs like FourSquare, MyFitnessPal, and C25K. Then, when you do certain things like check into the gym, track your caloric intake, or go for a run, you can earn points. When you earn 25000 points, you will receive a $25 Visa Gift Card. It's not a lot of money, but earning points does help me to stay motivated. I'm 14% closer to getting my gift card. Just this simple points systems helps me to stay on track.

What motivates you?

Pancakes and Puerto Rican Specialities

My mom was a really great cook when she was able to cook. I always assumed that I'd have plenty of time to learn how to cook from her, but that's what happens when you assume things. I'm not even fortunate enough to have a recipe box of things that she would cook. She didn't use recipes for the most part and would often improvise in the kitchen. I don't think I ever really saw her measure much, which is probably why I don't measure if I can avoid. A certain kitchen Nazi (Michael) won't let me just guess on the measurements. I just hate to dirty a measuring spoon unnecessarily.

Since my mom's unable to cook anymore, I try to cook for my dad and brother when I'm in town. I'm best at making breakfast, and since my mom doesn't cook anymore, there wasn't any Bisquick around for pancakes one morning, so I tried this pancake recipe for my 4th recipe. I remember them coming out pretty good, and it was a fairly simple with ingredients you most likely have laying around.

For Christmas last year, we (Mike and I) cooked a Puerto Rican inspired meal. I made arroz con gandules or rice with pigeon peas for all you gringos out there. Anyway, I had been wanting to try making it for myself for a while, and thought that Christmas might be a nice time to try it out. My first attempt at this dish was okay, but could be better. I found myself having to add more seasoning than the recipe called for.

For my sixth recipe, I made corned beef and plantains because my dad asked me if I could do something with this can of corned beef that had been in their pantry forever. Not forever, but a long time, so I gave this a shot. I remember that my mom would make this sometimes and that I liked it when she made it. It turned out okay, but I forgot to get onions, so that weakened the flavor a good bit. I just did the best with what I had on hand.

That makes 6 out of 30 recipes so far. What should I cook up next?

Still Alice

Book 6: Still Alice by Lisa Genova tells the story of Harvard professor Alice Howland's descent into dementia as the result of early on-set Alzheimer's disease. This was quite an emotional read for me because of my family history--my great grandmother and grandma both succumbed to this disease, and my mother also has neurological problems.

Genova has PhD in neuroscience, and she makes the choice to tell the story from Alice's point-of-view, which beautifully and realistically captures the frustration and fear of someone with memory loss. There were times that it got so real for me that I had to put it down, but I still wanted to see how things progressed. Genova does a great job of showing the progression of the illness. In one scene at the beginning of the book, Alice is reflecting on how she carefully eats an ice cream cone to avoid getting ice cream on her hands. Then, in a later scene, Alice is with her husband eating ice cream together. He asks her if she's ready to leave. She tells him no. Then, showing him her ice cream cone with streams of melted ice cream dripping onto her hands, she tells him that she's not finished finished with her ice cream yet. That kind of framing makes the story so real. 

Bottom line: It's an excellent read if you know someone suffering from Alzheimer's or if it's in your family history. Even if you don't know someone, it's still eye-opening and really hits close to home.