One of my big goals for the past five (six?) years has been to run a marathon. Twice I’ve gotten very close, but circumstances caused me not to make it to the start line. This year I turn 40. I want to run a marathon, so I decided to do a marathon on my birthday. And I’m turning it into a virtual race so all my running friends everywhere can join in! I’ve decided to Read more
For March’s favorite image, I went with the Court of the Patriarchs in Zion. The three kings are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was a short hike from the shuttle stop to get to this lovely spot. If I could do this shot differently I may have moved more to my left. I think I could have gotten a better frame of all three. I also wish I had more sky above the three formations, Read more
I started February off with Dumplin’ (yes, the book the Netflix movie starring Jennifer Aniston is based on). I used the prompt a book you picked because the title caught your attention because I was scrolling through Amazon Prime Reads, and it popped out to me. The title and cover were intriguing, and I knew Netflix had made it into a movie. Overall, I liked the story. I was a bit disappointed in the ending. Read more
One way to travel cheap? Camp. You need to have some essential equipment, but campgrounds can be so cheap. We pay for a week of camping, and it’s the same as a night at a hotel or Air BnB. We acquired most of our gear on Amazon and used their 6-month payment plan to make it even cheaper. Camping basics: Tent Air mattress and sleeping bag(s) Kitchen gear (we have a stove, coffee pot, mugs, Read more
January started a bit rocky for me. I was still struggling with the holiday hangover. It wasn’t very easy to shake, but around the middle of the month, I started to turn it around. I committed to working out. It was still tricky, but I hit every weight training session but one and did several runs. It was harder for me to get back into running because I had no plan and real goals. Training Read more
If you are looking for a way to explore your state, State Parks are a great place to start. They often preserve historically significant sites. They offer a way to see your state and learn it’s history! In Arizona, there are currently 31 state parks spread throughout. But when did we decide we needed to save these places for future generations? It all started 63 years ago. In 1957 the Governor appointed seven (7) members Read more
I’ve decided to start sharing the books I read each month with my thoughts on each book. Every year I try to read at least 52 books (one per week), so I can share at least four every month. I’m trying to do a mix of kindle, paperback, fiction, and non-fiction each month. I’m also forcing myself only to read books I already own and not buy new books this year! I own over 400 Read more
You want to start hiking. You see all those photos on Instagram and want to go to those amazing places. But to get there, you have to hike. And sometimes you need to hike far. Or scramble over rocks. You aren’t feeling confident in your skills. You haven’t hiked in years, or maybe you’ve never hiked. How do you get out there and explore all these amazing places? Thankfully, hiking is pretty easy to start. Read more
Marble Canyon near Page, Arizona, is home to the Colorado River. We walked to the Navajo Bridge from our hotel and took a few photos, including this one. I love how dark the water is and the reflection of the canyon walls. I think it contrasts nicely with the bright blue sky and orange-ish rocks. I also like the layers. You have the sky, distant cliffs, then the canyon and river. I would love to Read more
We’ve made it to another year and another decade. I’ve been trying to train for and run a marathon for the past five years — half a decade. And guess what? I’m throwing in the towel. At least for now. A few weeks back, I went out for my 16-mile run, and about 3 miles in, I realized I no longer wanted to do a marathon. You can read more about it here. I’ve been Read more
