Looking Back: September

Oh September, you devil you. Normally you are one of my favorite months, one full of vacations and adventures and great weather and friends. This year, you are not at the top of my list. September was a rough month for California. It was one of many wildfires; I read somewhere that there was a fire in almost every county (we have 59 of them). Also, on September 28th, this website posted the following information: "Since the beginning of 2020, over 3.7 million acres in California have burned from over 8,100 wildfires." According to Google, California is about 104 acres in size. Three and a half percent of the state has burned, and two places close to my heart (near my parents and near my brother) have gone up in smoke. 

As I type this, one of the biggest fires, the August complex, which is nearly one million acres in size (roughly the size of Switzerland), is still only 47% contained (according to CalFire). The one near my parents (the North Complex) is 78% contained and the one near my brother (the Glass fire) is only 5% contained. It is hard to find words sometimes. 

My Mom took this photo from her front yard.

But life goes on, doesn't it. While the state burns, we all still have to go to work each day, go out and find goodness in the world, go to Costco, etc. So, as always, here is what I did to "go about my day" in September. 

Running: As this is the way I keep sane, I had to try to do this as much as possible. I ended up running about 260 miles in September, including a couple of hiking trips. I have been running less days per week but more miles per day in an effort to still "quarantine" a little bit (less time out in the community) but to still stay healthy and have a little fun. 

Reading: This was an okay reading month for me. I only read one physical book; the rest were audiobooks. This was due to the fact that I did a hiking trip and instead of reading at night, I studied. Then when I was at home, I also studied and when not studying, tried to plan a couple of trips, which I will talk about in a few, so did not really read my book as much. My favorites this month were Wunderland and Shortest Way Home, although none of the books I read really wowed me. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood. 

Travel: The beginning of September was supposed to be spent in Belgium, Holland and surrounds, but as that did not pan out, a road trip to Oregon to stay with my friends up there was plan B. I usually do this every July, but this year things were a little different! I finally circumnavigated the Three Sisters, which I had been wanting to do for years but it was always too snowy in July. This year it was a record breaking heat year and was in the high 90s. Talk about a 180! 

After that was a visit to Mt. Rainier to hike parts of the Wonderland trail. Luckily the hiking days were smoke free, but on the drive from Oregon to Washington and then again from Washington back to California, the smoke was fierce and the AQI was over 600 at times (for those of you not familiar with AQI, a normal good air quality is under 50 and a so-so quality is under 100 and above 300 is, "Health warning of emergency conditions: everyone is more likely to be affected" according to AirNow.gov.) Definitely the view of the Oregon coast was not what it normally is (aka there wasn't one)! 

Mt. Rainier as seen from the west side. 

As I mentioned above, I also tried to plan a couple of trips. I had the week of September 21st off, and had a permit and plan to go and hike part of the John Muir Trail. However, at the beginning of the month, the National Parks were all closed due to the fires and on September 4th, a fire broke out near where I would be hiking, and is also now one of the largest ones in the state. My permit got canceled and so I also canceled my trip. This year has definitely been one of much flexibility and patience. 

Misc.: What else? The garden is now going over into winter mode; there are a few more straggler tomatoes and peppers and a few figs, but otherwise, its nearly bare. I am studying a lot, but am still not sure if my exam will get canceled (it is scheduled for December 5th). I am trying some new protein ball recipes for hiking trips, even though I am not sure when they will be. 

How was your September? What do you do when plans get changed? 

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Looking Back: September

For the first couple of weeks in September I was traveling, and then the remaining weekends were spent doing weekend trips, so I was barely home all month! Here are how the totals added up:

Running: A lot of my running miles this month were due to the fact that I hiked the Kungsleden, a long distance trail in Sweden, and I am counting those miles! I ended up running 336 miles, 225 of which were due to the Kungsleden. In addition, I completed 36.4 miles on the bike, bringing my total to 177 miles out of my goal of 180 miles. I am slacking a bit on the Yoga front, and only did one session, out of my goal of 4 times per month.

Teusajaure Lake, along the Kungsleden, Sweden

Reading: Once again, I did not read as much as I thought I would, as I was on vacation for the better part of the month. However, as it was in August, I did a lot of hiking and by the end of the day on these days, I was pretty tired and reading was not really a priority. However, I ended up reading eight books and most of them were pretty good! Here they are, in order of preference (audio books are in italics).

Born a Crime****
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper****
The Kitchen House****
A Man Called Ove****
The Nix****
Another Brooklyn***
Do Not Say We Have Nothing***
The Association of Small Bombs**

Travel: As stated above, for my yearly vacation this year I went to above the Arctic Circle in Sweden, where I hiked the Kungsleden trail. In addition, I spent a couple of days in Stockholm, running and exploring and hanging out. It was kind of funny to be in the land of people who look just like me, as most of my travels have been to places where I tend to stick out like a sore thumb!  I also went to Santa Cruz for a day at the beach with the folks, Napa for some wine tasting with friends, and to Tahoe for a weekend in the mountains! This was definitely a "last hurrah of summer" month and as you can see, I am trying to make the most of the good weather while it lasts!

Lake Aloha, South Lake Tahoe, CA

Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA

Hagaparken Lake, Stockholm, Sweden

Etc.: The garden went a bit wild while I was on vacation and the zuchinnis are so hard they will probably last in my compost for several years. In addition, I have about 4 zillion tomatoes, but have not been home long enough to can them yet! That is definitely something I need to get a move on with, as I definitely do not want them to go to waste! I also had a few figs (eaten!) and many cucumbers and CORN! Hurray for corn. It was so sweet and good and fresh!

Get in my belly!

What did you do this September? What is your favorite vacation activity? Do you have any good recent book recommendations?

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Currently: The Sweden Version

Happy Monday everyone! I just flew back from Sweden yesterday evening and it's some time in the middle of the night PDT, or lunch time in Europe, and I can't sleep, so I thought I would do a quick "currently" for my trip!

Reading:  The Association of Small Bombs, which I am about halfway through, but am not loving. It's okay, but not showstopping. On my vacation, I also read four other books which were all pretty good, but I will recap those in my September looking back!

Loving: The fall colors in Sweden! We don't get "seasons" very much in the Bay Area and being in Sweden reminded me of Autumns back home! 

Thinking: about my next vacation... just kidding! I'm thinking about how fast this last one went and how it will be to be back at work today (there are going to be so many emails to go through)! 

Frustrated: that I did not complete my entire hiking goal. However, the weather was poor and I was camping in a tent and I know I made the right decision. I just hate "giving up" without reaching my goals.

Feeling:  Hungry! When you are carrying all of your food on your back, you can only carry so much, which for me was about 3,000 calories per day. When you are hiking 10 - 12 hours per day, you just cannot keep up, calorie-wise. Ever since I left the trail, I have been carb-loading!!! Okay, really I've been overall calorie loading.

Anticipating: Going over all of my photos and reminiscing all the good parts of the trip! I did a cursory review and it's funny how I already forgot some of the early days. It's nice to recall them again and again!  

Watching: I did not really watch any TV while on vacation, but I did watch a few movies on the plane: Ms. Stone, When Harry Met Sally and Moneyball to name a few.

Working: will be interesting today. Usually September is not crazy busy, but I will have a lot of catching up to do after being gone for two weeks!

Grateful: that I get as much time off of work as I do. Technically I get about 20 days off (4 weeks) and I am required to take ten of the days consecutively, which I don't have much of an issue with! I know some people do not get very much PTO and I feel very glad that I do!

Listening: To audio books: A Man Called Ove, and next up Kitchen House. I did not really use my phone on the trail as I did not want to run down the battery in case I needed it for an emergency, so I didn't really listen to much!  

Reindeer!

Wishing: the floors would clean themselves. How is it that I clean everything before leaving on vacation but when I come home, there is still dirt everywhere? I blame the house elves.

What did you do this weekend? What are you currently wishing for? What are you anticipating? 

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Looking Back: September

For the past two Septembers, I have taken advantage of the fact that I get Labor day off, that the weather is still nice, and that the flights are a bit cheaper, and I have gone on my annual vacation. This year was no different In my line of work, I am actually required by law to take 10 business days off in a row. Fortunately, this has never been too much of a problem!

Since I was on vacation, I am going to switch this up and put the travel category first....

Travel: This year, my travels took me back to Europe, as I could not pass on the cheap Euro and the great deals on flights. I had my eye on heading back to Nepal to finally finish my Himalaya trek, but when I saw a great deal on United to Frankfurt, I knew that Nepal could wait another year. I flew to Germany, then did some hiking in the Stubai region of the Tyrolean Alps (Austria), the Dolomites (Italy) and the Bavarian Alps (Germany). In addition to lots and lots of hiking, I drank way too much wine and ate way too much good (read: carb loaded) foods!

Running: I ran about 180 miles, about 100 of which were mostly hiking in the Alps. Other than that, I did a couple of runs in Frankfurt and around the fields of the Bavarian Alps as well as some short runs while I was home.

Reading: In September, I read 5 books. Surprisingly, it was not more, as I traveled a lot. However, I also watched 5 movies on the plane ride home, so I didn't get a lot of reading done then. In addition, I ended up reading magazines, news and other items, so did not get as much book reading in as I normally would. The best book was Winter of the World, which is the Ken Follet Century trilogy. The first book was about WWI, this one was about WWII and there is a third, which I believe is about Vietnam, the Cold War and the Cuban missile crisis. None of these books were mine; nor were they part of the BR Read Harder Challenge.

Lab Girl (3 stars)
The Kings Curse (4 stars)
A God in Ruins (3 stars)
Winter of the World (5 stars)
Everyone Brave is Forgiven (3 stars)

All in all, September was a great month. Now I just need to start planning my next vacation!

What was the highlight of your month of September? Where did you go for vacation this year?

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Looking Back: September

September! Back to school days and leaf raking days; new pencils and old friend days; putting on pants and jelly making days. Early sunset nights and late sunrise days. Soup days and boot days. Crisp air and fog days.... What does September mean to you?

Running: I clocked just over 100 miles this month, which is better than last month! However, I did not get the same amount of hiking in, so the total "time on feet" was less. Instead, I have been focusing more on my strength training, and am doing a twice a week strength training regime rather than so much running. This month's totals were 45 miles of hiking, 53 miles of biking and 9 strength training sessions.

Reading: This was a good reading month quantity-wise, but only so/so quality-wise. I ended up reading 9 books and two half books (couldn't finish/had to put down)! My favorites were these four:

Farewell to the East End: The Last Days of the East End Midwives
Americanah
Station Eleven
This is the Story of a Happy Marriage

Travel: My vacation spanned two separate months, so September marked the end of my trip to Europe. The first week of the month included a relaxing soak in a thermal bath, some hiking in the Alps of Switzerland, more cheese and bread and wine, and a trip to see a very old friend of mine, who had been an exchange student in my tiny high school when I was growing up. She lives near Geneva and so I not only got to see her house and to meet her husband and children, but I also traveled with her to her parents house in the mountains, where I got to meet the whole family, hike in the snow and drink Schnapps. It was a fun time all around!

Swiss cows are friendly!

After I returned, I spent a bit of Hobbit time doing things around the house, visiting local friends, going out for drinks with the work mates, cooking, shopping and eating and generally just catching up on life. I still have a mountain of items on my To Do list, but I am checking them off little by little! Unfortunately, new ones keep popping up!

And....Beer: New category! You know how you try things, such as beer, or wine or a new recipe, and then when you go to get another or make another, you can't remember the name or the website? Well, to prevent that, I am trying to remember to log things better and to write them down. So, the new beer I tried in September that I liked was: Fieldwork's Torrential Double IPA (website here).

What do you have on your To Do List? What new beer have you tried lately? What happened in your September worth mentioning? 

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Looking Back: September

Right now I am jumping for joy, because September was a very good month! I can't say that I have gotten back into my "normal" routine (because what is that, anyway?) but I am feeling a little more organized, and have actually had a chance to do a bit of cleaning and cooking and, you know, normal stuff, without feeling like I am being pulled in a million different directions, or that I "should" be doing something more important. After studying, and then the hangover afterward, I have felt a bit discombobulated. However, September has been a slow easing of that feeling, and I am hoping October will continue to do the same.

Running: 205 miles. I am counting the miles I hiked through the Alps as "running" miles, as I was power hiking, and I often power hike when I trail run, so I am claiming them. On top of that, I also have been biking to work a couple of times a week, and so have about 40 cycling miles in September as well. I only had one race in September, which was the Berkeley Trail Adventure with some great blogger friends, but that will probably be a separate post.

Reading: Hurray for reading! This is what I have missed the most over the past few months. In September I read 8 books, which is more than I have read in one month for...well, for a long, long time. My favorite of all of them was probably Unbroken, which is the story of Olympic runner Louis Zamperini, and his trials and tribulations during WWII (including a shipwreck and a long time at sea).

Travel: This is going to be another blog post in itself. However, to sum it all up, I spent two excellent weeks in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, mostly hiking in the Alps and eating a lot of bread and cheese!

The hills ARE alive....

In addition: I had a great weekend relaxing and getting some errands done, which was much needed, I went to the eye doctor and the dentist (finally!), met up with a friend for a walk and a catch up session and even went to an Oakland A's game. Then the last weekend of the month was a fun filled weekend with Lisa, Amber, Lauren and Leigh, who came to San Francisco for some girl time, sightseeing and running. I couldn't have had a better ending to my month.

I am hoping October gives me a chance to catch up with some other friends and family who I haven't seen very often, as well as getting a chance to kind of settle back into life again. However, I am known for filling up weekends even while saying that I need a break, so we shall see! You have to make hay while the sun shines, right?

How was your September? Have you ever seen the Sound of Music? What do you do to recharge?

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Looking Back: September

September was a month with no races, which was a big change from August (2 races) and October (2 races). However, I was ramping up for my biggest race ever, the Firetrails 50, so it was not a month without running! Here are some of the highlights of September:

Running: This was one of my highest mileage months ever; I ran 225 miles. Even with being sick and not being able to run as much as my schedule required, I still managed to log a lot of foot time. This was good, yet it also caused me to be pretty exhausted in September. It's amazing how much time is required for heavy training. It left me with little time to do much else. My total running time in September was about 40 hours. My longest run was a 23 mile run with Broski in the rain, which was definitely a challenge but was actually quite fun in the end!

Softball: Even with all the running, I am glad that I made time for the weekly softball team at work. We lost our last few games, leaving us with a final record of 2 - 6. I guess there is nowhere to go next year but up! The season is now over and it will be nice to have my Thursday nights back! I have to admit, joining the softball team while training for a fifty mile race was probably not my brightest idea ever, but it was really fun to get to know some people at work who are in different departments. It makes me realize how little I interact with anyone outside my immediate vicinity at work!

Books: I actually read a few books this month! They were just random books that I had on my Kindle, so they were nothing new. I read Jackdaws by Ken Follet, which was about the French resistance in WWII. It was entertaining, but wasn't too deep. I also started the Percy Jackson series, which is fun, but it's definitely no Harry Potter! I also read Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, which was another book that was okay, but not great.

Travel: For Labor Day, I went to see my parents, which was really good. It was nice to be home and to see my family and to gaze at my favorite mountains and river and trees. Going home always makes me feel a sense of belonging. I had a great time running on my favorite trails, taking a bike ride/run with my parents and hanging out with the cat and the neighbors.

Friends: I met up with Broski and the Lady for some horse races and wiener dog racing,  which was a blast. Have you ever seen a wiener dog run? Its funny. Now picture 20 of them running at the same time; its even better! I also took the puppy (Emi) up to Broski's house and she got to get hassled by his two Jack Russel terriers. It was definitely interesting. We ended up having to muzzle one of his dogs for a few minutes because he kept trying to bite Emi. After they established who was boss, they got along just fine. The next day we had a nice run and had a "make your own pizza" dinner with the in-laws. Good times. I also had some great times joining up with work friends for happy hour. Work is so busy that we don't often have time to hang out, so it was nice to unwind and have a drink and get to know each other better.

Food: I did some canning! I canned tomato sauce and hot pepper sauce. This year we didn't get so many veggies that we couldn't keep up, so I really didn't have as much to can as I had hoped.

Other randoms from September: I cut off my black toenail, the new Bay Bridge opened, I taught the dog how to use the doggie door, I fell off my bike, I went to yoga twice and I watched Midnight in Paris.

The end.

How was your September? Have you ever been/would you ever go to a wiener dog race?

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Currently: September

Current Book - Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler: this is the second book I have read by her and although I don't love her TV personality, her books are pretty funny. They are a bit crude, but are a good way to pass the time, especially since I usually read on the bus ride home, so her short antidotes are a perfect length.

Current Running Path - 

Home sweet home

Current Drink - Supplication

Current Excitement - I signed up for Boston!

Current Favorite Blog/Website - Garmin Connect 

Current Garden Item - Tomatoes: We made tomato sauce, tomato salsa, and have been eating a ton of salads!

Current Love - Getting up before work to run. Okay the getting up part is not so great, but the being up when the rest of the world is still is priceless.

Current Food - Potato and Beet Salad. I have been on a kick where I throw some veggies together with a bit of vinegar and a scoop of greek yogurt and call it a salad. I love it!

Current Indulgence - Happy Hour

Currently Pondering - What is up with Miley Cyrus? I am sure you have all seen this video. Next thing we know she is going to shave (the rest of) her head and start weilding a bat in the middle of Los Angeles. Is this just a phase? 

Current Mood - Tired

Current New Find - Butter infused garlic noodles. What can I say? Butter? and Garlic? Tell me more! 

Current Peeve - I think I am getting a cold. I am fighting it off with water and vitamins and...pickles, and I am hoping it doesn't get any worse! This is not the time for that! 
 
Current Song - 

 

Current Triumph - August was my second highest mileage month ever with 206 miles, and September is looking to possibly surpass it! 
 
Current TV Show -  Master Chef is over and I am so glad that ___ didn't win! Since then, there's been nothing else. I am looking forward to Top Chef starting again.

Current Wish-List - More hours in a day 

Currently Delaying - Some organization of my finances that will take me a while, so I am not looking forward to getting started. 

What is your current favorite blog? What are you currently loving? What do you think about that Miley Cyrus video?

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Currently: September

Current Book - Looking for Alaska by John Green

Current Hot Celebrity - Mila Kunis. I think she's adorable.

Current Drink - Coffee. Way too much of it. 

Current Excitement - I went to the A's/Redsox game the other day, got to watch the batting practice on the field, got to sit in row 5 above the A's dugout and got a photo with one of the players! It was so cool. I mean, hey, I am still a true Giant's fan, but I will take a photo with any of the players! 

Current fashion trend - Boots. I wear these all the time. Now I need black -- I want these.

Current Favorite Blog/Website - www.runningintheusa.com -- If you haven't used this site yet to find races, you should! Also, ultrasignups for Ultras.
 

Current Garden Item - I have zucchinis! 4 different kinds. Here are three of them. 

 

 

Current Love - The short work week! 

Current Food - I made a whole chicken in the crock the other day and it's delicious! It was so easy. Just put an onion in and then rub the chicken with spices and leave it for 5 hours. When you come back, voila, chicken! I even made stock with it as well!

Currently Pondering - Fires in CA near my Parents. Supposedly they are out finally.

Current Indulgence - Popcorn, and lots of it! I have been a popcorn eating machine! Today's favorite way to eat it? With butter and nutritional yeast. And lots and lots of salt. 

Current Mood - Hungry. Is that a mood? 

Current New Find - French Trail. It's a beautiful, redwood filled trail that is just the right amount of ups and downs. You can also easily do a shorter or longer loop (anywhere from about 3 miles to 8), so it's good for all levels of runner/hiker!

Current Outfit -  

 

Pardon me. I did not comb my hair that day.

 

Current Peeve - I had to remind three runners at the SR Marathon who were blocking the whole path that it was "hard to pass them when they were running three abreast". Those were my exact words. After I said, "on your left" about 6 times and they didn't get over so I had to run around through the bushes to pass. I had some more choice words, but I kept it cool and remained polite. 

 

Current Song - Till I Collapse by Eminem. It makes me run faster! Also I think about the first part of the song when I feel like giving up/slowing down: 

 

'Cause sometimes you just feel tired,
Feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up.
But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength
And just pull that s*** out of you and get that motivation to not give up
And not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse. 

Current Triumph - My brother has started running! He emailed me and said he would like to do a half marathon together. Hurray! I am so excited! Speaking of my brother, today is his birthday! Happy Birthday Bro!

 

Current TV Show - Parenthood. I am sad to say that I am caught up now. When does the new season start!? I need me some Braverman! And what about Grey's? Do they all die?

Current Wish-List - A tiger tail, an entry in the Boston Marathon, more hours in a day, extra motivation. 

Currently Delaying - Running. But I sure do end up getting a lot of other things done on my to do list when I am procrastinating running! 

Do you have any good crock pot recipes? What website do you use to find races? What's on your current wish list?

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Then and Now: September

I can't believe that September is over already. This month went by 17 times faster than the month of August. I have been very busy with work, friends and running. I was thinking the other day about how quickly time passes and how quickly we forget about some of the things we have done in the past (days/months/years). I also frequently think, "last year at this time I was ____". So, in order to remember the good times and the crazy ones, this is the first episode of Then and Now: The Who, the Where and the What of September 2010 vs 2011.  

The WHO: 

Last September, I was hanging out a lot with this guy:

To Be or Not to Be... (yes, I made him dress up like that. And I hated that beard.)

This September, I hung out a lot with these guys: 

98 Miles in September (vs. 0 last year!)

THE WHERE: 

Last September I was here:  

Udaipur, India

This September I was here:

Random, MO

Last September, I was sleeping here: 

Drying out the blanket due to the humidity!

This September, I slept here:

Not IN the chair, but in this room!

THE WHAT:

Last September, I wrote about:

Strange South African Customs

Strange Indian Customs

You Might Be in India if...

This September, I wrote about: 

 Where My Heart Is

Summertime

Living Out of a Hotel

I can't believe that (insert cliched statement here) last year at this time I was halfway across the globe. It seems kind of surreal to think that now I am back in "real" life, working every day and living the every day life instead of gallivanting about.  Weird. 

What were you doing in September 2010? How was your month this year? Are you glad (can you believe) it's October already?

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