I usually do a half-way point check in for my yearly goals but, in an effort to keep myself on track, I am doing quarterly check-ins this year.  I feel pretty good about how things are going so far.  Let's take a look....

• Exercise a minimum of three times a week - Ummm, this one isn't as good.  I averaged 2.38 times a week for the first quarter.  Some of those were yoga classes and some of the running days were run/walk heavy on the walking.  No surprise then that my St. Pat's Dash was as bad as it was.  The last two weeks have been much better and I am hitting my three run minimum and it has been more running than walking so I feel like I can pull this one back in line.
• Lose 30 lbs. - Nope.  But I am lower than I was two weeks ago.  So that is something, right?
• Volunteer at least 40 hours - At quarter's end I was at 4.5 hours but put in four more last night and have some things lined up that should be fun.  And yes, I count the half hour of someone trying to poke my skin and drain my blood as volunteer time.  That just isn't the fun kind.
• Take four different classes - I have signed up and taken two so far: yoga every Monday and a one-time embroidery class.  I am not counting the ballroom dancing classes that we were doing through March until our teacher retired because I was already signed up for those when I set my goal. 
• Travel one place in state I have never been before - Not yet, but I think wine in Walla Walla is calling my name.
• Travel one place out of state I have never been before - Done!  New York City, Virginia and Hershey, PA
• Read a minimum of one book a month -  I was afraid I might have low-balled this when I set the goal and I think I did.  It just seems like there wasn't enough time to read the past few years so I wasn't sure I could find the time to squeeze in even this small amount.  Turns out if you make time even a few minutes a day and also have a vacation that involved long plane rides you can accomplish lots o' reading.  It also helps if you (inadvertently) pick some shorter books.  Through the first quarter I have eight books under my belt.

"Maybe Baby" by Lori Leibovich
"The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett

"Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea" by Barbara Demick

"The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach

"Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

"Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

"Turn Right At Macchu Picchu" by Mark Adams

"Terroryaki!" by Jennifer Chung

How are you doing with your goals? 

Summer Reading List

One of the things I miss the most while I am in school is reading for pleasure. After spring quarter was finished I attacked books voraciously. I was starved for anything that was actually interesting to read and that nobody would test me on later. I kept a list and here is what I managed to finish this summer. It started off really well but stalled out around the time that I moved.

"My Life on the Run: The Wit, Wisdom and Insights of a Road Racing Icon" by Bart Yasso.
Quick read. The best parts were excerpted in "Runner's World".

"When You Are Engulfed in Flames" by David Sedaris
Can't go wrong with David Sedaris. Laugh out loud funny as usual.

"Slam" by Nick Hornby
Not his best work. I agree with my friend Mike that trying to come off as a sixteen year-old doesn't work for him.

"Assassination Vacation" by Sarah Vowell
One of my new favorite books. Witty and interesting whether you are a history dork or not.

"Take The Cannoli" by Sarah Vowell
Not as good as "Assassination Vacation" but still pretty fabulous. There is no one quite like Sarah Vowell.

"Bowerman and the Men of Oregon" by Kenny Moore
Truthfully, I started this last year and got bogged down in school and didn't have time to finish it but I did this year. Interesting story of the famous running coach, his proteges, and Nike's co-founding. I got it signed by the author, an American distance running legened, at the Eugene Marathon expo in 2008.

"Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World" by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
Every library should have a cat. I always approach books like this with trepidation because you know the animal is going to die at the end. I held it together much better than I did with the Norton books.

"Running for Mortals" by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield
John "The Penguin" Bingham is always good for running inspiration whether you are a newbie or have been doing it for awhile. Waddle on!

"The Partly Cloudy Patriot" by Sarah Vowell
OK, it clearly became the summer of Sarah but you could do a heck of a lot worse than that. Another one I highly recommend.

"Valley of the Dolls" by Jacqueline Susann
Trashtastic. I think I would have enjoyed it more though if I knew beforehand that the three main characters were modeled after Marilyn Monroe, Liza Minelli and Grace Kelly.

"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver
Got me thinking far too much and far too seriously about produce. The premise of eating nothing but locally grown food and things you grow and raise for an entire year is a little nuts to me. It would be the year without a Diet Coke and that is a year of sadness and tears. However, we are probably going to try and grow more vegetables next year and are looking into joining a CSA.

"The Dew Breakers" by Edwidge Danticat
I have been wanting to read a book of hers every since I stumbled on her name years ago. She has one of those names that is just fun to walk around the house and say; like "Nomar Garciaparra" or "Peter van den Hoogenband". The book was disappointing though. She is also the first Haitan author I ever read.

"Drink, Play, F#@k" by Andrew Gottlieb
The man's answer to "Eat, Pray, Love". Hilarious parody of the very chick centered book (that I admit that I enjoyed).

I hope everyone enjoyed their summer reading. I have many more interesting titles sitting on the shelf waiting for the textbooks to be finished. I think I am going to spend all of January reading books after I get home from work. I can't wait.