Friday, November 28, 2008 · 8:16 pm
- I hope everybody who celebrates Thanksgiving had a great day! And I hope everyone who doesn’t had a great day too! Hobgoblin and I stayed home, as we usually do, and celebrated Thanksgiving all on our own, with a little help from Muttboy, who really, really likes the Cornish game hens Hobgoblin cooked up (as did we). We finished our meal with a brownie sundae, which may not be traditional Thanksgiving food, but was delicious anyway. I just had another one, in fact. Even all the riding, running, and swimming I’ve been doing hasn’t made up for all the calories I’ve been taking in …
- Speaking of riding, running, and swimming, my training has been going well, in spite of lingering hamstring/hip area soreness. I took a week entirely off from training a couple weeks ago, mostly because that’s what you’re supposed to do in the off season, but also to see if my aches and pains would go away. They didn’t, but they also seem to be getting better, in spite of the fact that I’ve been training regularly for two weeks now. I just have to wait it out, I suppose.
- But in spite of the soreness, I’ve been having fun doing all the training. I’m especially pleased with my running — I’m not running far, only about 3.25 miles right now, but my foot injury hasn’t returned, and I’m able to build up slowly and it all feels fine. Yay! My sister completed a marathon a couple weeks ago, and my brother has run one too, and I really want to follow in their footsteps.
- This afternoon I went on a group ride with people from my cycling club, followed by a party at the bike shop. The party was fine (although I’m not a rider who can talk about bikes for hours on end), and the group ride was good too, except that if it’s a large, mixed group (mixed in terms of experience level), I tend to spend too much time worrying about people who have trouble riding in a straight line or who like to ride in the middle of the road. Why do people like to ride in the middle of the road?
- I’m about to finish a novel about the 18C poet William Cowper, The Winner of Sorrow by Brian Lynch. It’s fascinating and is teaching me way more than I ever knew about Cowper. I think I’d like to read more of his poetry at some point. More on that later.
- When I’ve finished the Cowper book, I’m going to pick up my next book club book (not the mystery club this time around), Diane Ackerman’s The Zookeeper’s Wife. According to the publisher, the book is “a true story in which the keepers of the Warsaw zoo saved hundreds of people from Nazi hands.” I’m also going to be starting William Gaddis’s The Recognitions as part of Litlove’s reading group. The group website is here; it’s not too late to join if this sounds interesting! (The reading begins December 1st.)
- I also found out what my next mystery group book will be: Arthur Conan Doyle’s “A Study in Scarlet” and “The Sign of the Four.” I read some Sherlock Holmes mysteries when I was a kid, but not many, and I don’t remember any of them, so I’m going to assume I’ve never read these. I’m looking forward to reading some early writing in the genre.
- Okay, now I’m off to finish my Cowper book …
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Of Books and Bicycles 
It’s been a while since you’ve written about your cycling, I was wondering how it was going. Do you think you’ll be ready for a triathalon next year? Isn’t it nice spending a holiday just doing low key kinds of things? Glad to hear you, Hobgoblin and Muttboy had a good day! Sometimes I dread holidays with all the planning and craziness that can go along with them. It’s nice just sitting back and doing you’re own sorts of things!
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I’m interested in reading what you think of Ackerman’s book. I almost bought it recently. It seems to grab my attention every time I’m in the bookstore, though it hasn’t made its way to the checkout counter with me yet.
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I’ll be interested to hear about The Zookeeper’s wife as it’s been well reviewed here. I’ve just read Gaddis’s Paris Review interview and now want to read The Recognitions, albeit maybe not as soon as December.
As for Conan Doyle- you’re in for a treat. The Study in Scarlet particularly is great fun although maybe not if you’re a Mormon.
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Sounds like you had a lovely Thanksgiving. And with all the triathlon training you want to also run a marathon someday? Goodness Dorothy, you’re making us all feel so lazy! 😉 I’ve read the first ten pages of Gaddis and it is funny, something I did not expect.
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we spent thanksgiving just the two of us as well and it was wonderful – a nice tonic for the upcoming family visits over the holidays. And I know what you mean about calories…despite all my workouts I know i’m taking in too many but then again, I’m not one too make a ton of cookies or candy or anything in between now and Christmas like a lot of folks, so hopefully it will balance out!
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Happy Thanksgiving! Lincoln sure was a smart fella. Your non-traditional fare sounds delectable. I ate Japanese nouveau cuisine, so I have to say I’m supportive of your choices. The important thing is remembering we have so much for which to give thanks.
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Happy thanksgiving! The Cowper book sounds fascinating and I’m looking forward to your review of that. And I’m quite excited about Gaddis – SO glad we are reading in a group. It will make for a much better experience, I hope.
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Oooh, Sherlock! He’s my comfort reading – I have 2 anthologies that I have almost worn out. You’re in for a treat with Conan Doyle, his stories are (in my opinion, anyway) head & shoulders above his contemporaries.
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Danielle — I’m now capable of complete a sprint distance triathlon, which is the shortest one available. The cycling is no problem, the swimming won’t be great but I can do it; it’s more a matter of how far I can run without injury. I’m hoping to work my way up to an Olympic distance triathlon, which means running a little over 6 miles. It looks right now like I’ll be able to do that by spring. But I’m not saying I’ll do it fast!
Cam — so far so good with the book. In fact at times I have trouble putting it down. It’s a very good story and is very well-written.
Sarah — I’m not Mormon, so I should be good! 🙂 As I said to Cam, I’m enjoying the Ackerman very much so far. It’s a compelling story. And I’m sure you could join the Gaddis reading later if you wanted!
Stefanie — well, ultimately, if I’m able, I’d like to complete an Ironman triathlon, which means running a marathon — after swimming 2.4 miles and riding 112 miles! So a marathon all on its own seems like a good step toward that final goal — which, if I’m able to do it at all — is several years down the road. It’s fun to have a big goal though!
Courtney — I tried on some summer triathlon clothing yesterday and let me tell you, that was a motivator to pay attention to the calories! I’m going to be good from now on, I swear …
Bikkuri — Japanese nouveau cuisine sounds quite good too! 🙂
Litlove — yes, I’m very glad for the Gaddis group too. It will be a motivator, most definitely. I’m hoping to start the book this evening, in fact.
Ella — oh, good to know! I’m looking forward to reading them even more now knowing so many people have such fond feelings about them.
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Glad to hear your training is going well. I’m so fascinated that you have the stamina to do all that. Ackerman’s book sounds good, sort of like Schindler’s List — with animals. Will be interested to read your review of that one.
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