I felt pretty good and decided to ramp up the last two miles of my run.  I ended up doing 4.01 in 33:58. Not too shabby when I was only feeling a 2 miler when I dragged my ass out of bed this morning.

Foggy!

Ominous East River

Horror movie or East River?

I tweeted Sam Champion from Good Morning America a picture of my run this morning and he though it was pretty cool. I love him! Hi Sam Champion, you’re awesome.

At least one person enjoys my running pics!

This weekend I am, OF COURSE, headed to Long Island.  H, my mom, and myself (3 musketeers anyone?) are going to be enjoying some tennis, running, and beaching. We wanted to head up to Henry’s parents at the lake originally, but it is so darn far and H and I both had to work (sorry Ps!). Plus, c’mon who wouldn’t want to spend their weekend with my awesome mom? What are your plans for this weekend?  I think I need to look to Alex Eats Green for some summery and light food tips.

My favorite people

Mother’s Day 5k!

I made sure to pack H’s sneakers for this weekend.  Tuesday he informed me he wanted to run another 5k, but not anything further. I think that is what we call PROGRESS people! No matter what I am just proud of him that he ran his first ever race in 26 and change. Pretty sweet!

Last, but certainly not least, (just in case I am too wrapped up in Memorial Day Weekend festivities and can’t post) I want to take a second to thank our veterans and currently serving soldiers for their service, ESPECIALLY my older brother! I am so proud of you–as a member of the Army National Guard you are giving up a lot to ensure that I have the freedom to run daily and do as I please. Make sure you take a second to thank a veteran/soldier!

Brother 2010

Kurt after drill last weekend with my mom and cousin, Justin

I hope you all have a great MDW 2012. Stay safe. Don’t drink and drive. Don’t bike and drive.  Run lots. Stay hydrated. Wear sunscreen. Thank a member of our Armed Forces.

Happy (short) Friday!

We have been carefully watching the weather reports as separate weather systems in 3 states combine and created a major rain event in our area ‘central western plains’. We settled in for a 2nd night and waited for the rain to blow through to the coast. The same weather system dumped a load  of snow in the Alpine region we have just left. We got our van out just in time. While it rained we visited the old Dubbo gaol, a good exhibit on a par with the Melbourne gaol.

We left Dubbo and stopped at Coonabarabran for coffee and excellent cake served with cream and a swirl of toffee sauce, it is my last treat.  Margaret says there will be no more visits to cafes for coffee and cake while we are away as it is costing us $100 a week!

Bird road sign

I just had to stop and photograph this sign as I am sure Robyn does not have it in her collection. We have seen several emus today but the image is not an emu, what is it and why the sign?

Approach to Mt Kaputar National Park by Margaret

We parked the van at Narrabri then drove into Mount Kaputar National Park. The approach is across a flat plain. We stopped a couple of times to take photos.

Approach to Mt Kaputar National Park by Ian

I think Margaret got the best shot.

Lichens

The most accessible feature is ‘Sawn rocks’ an easy 35klm drive and pleasant walk in past these huge boulders covered in moss and lichens.

Sawn Rocks

A sign at the site says, Sawn Rocks is possibly the best example in Australia of organ piping. This cliff is the remains of a lava flow. Millions of years ago the molten lava cooled slowly and evenly enabling individual crystals to perfectly align. Weathering and plant roots forced vertical cracks between crystals to open resulting in rock falls that leave these vertical columns.

Finally finals are over! After spending the entire last week in the library, I had my last final on Friday and now I’m free! What an amazing feeling…! So many things have happened in the last couple of days – I’ve barely been home and we’ve really been trying to seize the day. One of the best nights in a long time was on Sunday. We went to Hendry’s Beach (my new favorite beach around here btw) and made a bonfire!

[beautiful Hendry's Beach - a must-see location in the SB area]

Our cozy fire…it was so nice and warm, grilling marshmellows, listening to the waves and watching the stars…just like in one of the movies (or OC episodes)…I always thought they exagerrated…but living in California is really just like that.

what an amazing night.

For the long, warm afternoons I was looking for something new and this evening The Beloved mentioned that our basil plant was doing pretty well. That sparked a memory and I found the Lonsdale in my collection of drink recipes and decided to go for it.

Lonsdale

• 1.5 oz gin
• 0.75 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz apple juice
• 0.25 oz honey
• 2 basil leaves, torn

Vigorously shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with a basil leaf.

Lonsdale

The apple juice and honey provide a nice mellowing against the bright gin and lemon. The fresh basil evokes a powerful “summer” flavor. I went for Bombay Sapphire instead of the potentially overpowering Hendrick’s. Perfect on a summer-ish evening. The picture is from my second one… :)

Buchhandlung Walther König

Buchhandlung Walther König is a library located next to Hackescher Markt. It looks quite serious from the outside, where you can read “Architektur, Design, Kunst, Fotografie” (Architecture, Design, Art, Photography), the kind of books they sell. But I’d say it’s more than that. 

Opened in 2007, this library has bookshelves filled up from the floor to the roof. But you don’t feel overwhelmed at all, because you can see the cover of many of them. The shop is quite big, there must be thousands of books in it! Books about philosophy, sociology, feminism, music, cinema, photography, design, graphic design, advertising, fashion, history, art history, art theory, architecture,… And they have a fantastic collection of magazines, which are not only German but also American, English or Japanese, among others. Here you can buy Dazed and Confused, Vogue International, Dash Magazine, Corduroy, L’Officiel, Industrie, Misc, Habitus, Damn, Aesthetica, Spike, Art Review, Elephant, Flash Art, Spex,… 

One of the books that I drew my attention to was “100 Artists’ Manifestos: From Futurists to the Stuckists”. They had many books of Taschen that I would have bought with my eyes closed too. There were books from other German publishing houses such as Reclam, Merve, Suhrkamp; which had a cool minimalist design of their covers. 

The atmosphere in the bookshop is quite and calm. There were people that were just looking around, a mother with her child reading, a couple of old people asking for an specific book,… And the employees were absolutely nice. 

If you have the chance, you shouldn’t miss this shop at all. I’m sure you would find some book you would like to buy. 

Do You Read Me

You can find Do You Read Me in two locals in Berlin: one in Mitte and another one in Tiergarten. This last one has a special space dedicated to read, the Reading Room. We got to know this bookshop because Freunde von Freunden launch there their book. 

As it’s said on their website, Do You Read Me has “Magazine und Lektüre der Gegenwart”(Actual Magazines and Readings). So here you can find a first-rate collection of magazines from many different places and about many different themes. Naturally all of them have something in common: they are cool, so cool. Encens, Inventory, The Gentlewoman, Mark, It’s Nice That, Milk, Muse, Candy, Wonderland, Indie, Et Alors?, Frankie, V, Dansk, Fantastic Man, Apartamento,… these are some of the names you’ll find there. 

But it’s not only about magazines, they have an excellent selection of books concerning photography, food, branding, architecture, interior design, decoration, urban spaces, etc. The book I would have bought is “Typography in Magazines”, by Laura Meseguer. It just seemed to be so fascinating! 

The interior design of the both shops is kind of minimalist and modern. You can feel they’ve taken care of the lighting and the colours of the walls. It’s an outstanding shop. Nevertheless, they could be a little bit more friendly with their customers. Or at least that’s the impression we’ve got every time we’ve been there.

Located in a lava field midway between Reykjavik and the airport, the Blue Lagoon is a perfect last stop in Iceland before you fly home, as Nicole, our friend Carri, and I discovered during our recent visit. With an early evening flight, we had a whole morning to kill—and what better way to while away the time than by relaxing in a geothermal spa?

We pulled up to the Blue Lagoon at about 9:30 on the morning of our departure, winter dictating that it was still pitch black outside. Still, we could make out the steam floating up from the water as we stowed our luggage and checked out the gift shop, waiting for the facilities to open.

The Blue Lagoon in January—at 9 a.m.!

Yes, there are plenty of other tourists, but the spacious complex and constant steam can make you feel like you’re almost alone. Go early as we did, and you’ll likely even have the place to yourself for a bit. And don’t forget to eat: We capped our visit with lunch in the on-site restaurant—where else can you eat gourmet sushi in a bathrobe?

A blue cocktail at the Blue Lagoon.

x,

Jack

Flamingos

Fish fight

Gibbon

He was showing off.

Gibbon

Storks

Baby manatee, swimming to the surface for some lunch.

just keep swimming, swimming, swimming…

just keep swimming, swimming, swimming…

oh bother.

Fish. No I can’t remember what kind of fish this was.

I turn around to find this massive croc just chilling next to me.

You got a little something riggghttt there.

Last Sunday after the kids went to bed, I reluctantly taped a sign to our TV that read, “Sorry We’re Closed”.  New Experience #17 was not going to be fun.  There might even be a few tears.  I was starting to have second thoughts, but I had already told the kids about our next experience and didn’t want to back down now.  We were going to participate in Screen Free Week, the brainchild of a Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood.  For the entire week, the kids would not be able to use the TV, computer, or anything else with a screen.  I was also participating, but in a modified way.  I would not watch TV, use Facebook, or waste time on Pinterest, but I would still check my e-mail and update the blog when my children were not present.  I braced myself for a tough week.

On Day 1,  I was prepared to wake up at the crack of dawn.  My children are early risers, so I usually let them watch a TV show (okay, sometimes 2 TV shows) when they wake up in the morning.  I assumed the kids would be tugging at my sheets as soon as they woke up on Monday morning.  I cannot express how surprised I was when I nearly overslept because no one came to wake me up.  I peeked into the family room and found both Luke and Leah reading books on the couch.  I swear I did not make that up.  They didn’t even comment about the sign on the TV as I came down the stairs.

To my genuine surprise, most of the week went just as smoothly.  I made an effort to make the week fun, as it is supposed to be a celebration of Screen Free time.  I took the kids to Barnes and Noble to pick out a new book.  We made chocolate chip cookies.  I whipped up a batch of sidewalk paint that I found here.  We had not one, but two Family Game Nights.  We really did have fun spending time as a low-tech family.

Now, I don’t want to misguide you.  The week wasn’t all hearts and flowers.  There was one afternoon when Leah was ridiculously cranky.  I almost caved.  I was ready to rip that stupid sign off my TV and let her watch whatever show she wanted just so she’d stop whining.  But, I stayed strong.  After suggesting a million activities, Leah finally settled on feeding her Baby Alive.  Within 5 minutes, her crankiness mysteriously disappeared and I was so proud I didn’t give up on our challenge.

The other thing that didn’t cooperate was the weather. New Jersey has gotten lower than average precipitation this year.  You would have never guessed that during Screen Free Week.  As luck would have it, it rained on four of our Screen Free days.  To make up for it, I took the kids to an indoor playground with huge inflatable slides and bounce houses.  It was the best decision I made all week.  I think my kids ran the equivalent of a marathon.  I just wish they let adults on those inflatable things.  I bet it is an amazing workout!

Once Screen Free Week was officially over,  I told the kids they could watch TV and play the Wii again, but we were going to continue Screen Free mornings.  I expected a fight, but they happily agreed.  I know that sounds corny, but it really is true.  We survived Screen Free Week and actually changed a habit.  New Experience #17 was a success!

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