Category Archives: Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Fail this Week

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

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I can say that I spent an hour mowing the lawn last Sunday, but otherwise I totally blew off my exercise/treadmill goal this week. I do have an excuse: I’ve had company spending the week with me, and since they were using the fold-out couch in the room that houses the treadmill, it would have been awkward. Plus I’ve had my 2-year-old granddaughter pretty much around the clock for the week, which also made it difficult to make the time. On the plus side, I got plenty of exercise chasing her around!

Treadmill Week 30 & What I #amreading

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Goals:

  • Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
  • Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
  • Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
  • Distance 1-2 miles per day
  • Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (the only exception to this is Saturday nights, if I want to finish off a book so I can start a fresh one for the new week)

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my daily #amreading updates may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

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It’s short story week!

What I #amreading: Find His Way Home by Nell Iris, Happy Merry Christmas by Amy Tasukada, Only Words by Acer Adamson, Any Excuse by Acer Adamson, and Every Minute by Acer Adamson.

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My favorite lines this week:

  • SUNDAY (Find His Way Home): “I know,” Elliot muttered. He scratched his chin before his fingers began twisting strands of his heart, forcing them into half-hearted curls, as he listened to Mick breathing on the other end of the line.
  • MONDAY (Find His Way Home): His teeth chattered the entire drive back, and he had to turn up the heat in the car because he was freezing. He kept his eyes firmly on the road, hyper alert to everything going on around him. After slamming the brakes hard to avoid hitting a squirrel, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to relax a little.
  • TUESDAY (Happy Merry Christmas): Aoi delivered the line. Instead of a lascivious whisper of budding passion, his character’s breath caught in his throat and a sharp pang of panicked fear had him stumbling over his confessed virginity.
  • WEDNESDAY (Happy Merry Christmas): He never understood why people always insisted on commenting about his height after meeting him. It wasn’t like he didn’t know he was short.
  • THURSDAY (Only Words): Skyler huffed out an impatient-sounding breath. “A seam is a seam, Maxwell. Now, please be still. You’re going to have to trust me.”
  • FRIDAY (Any Excuse): Max smiled and raised an eyebrow. “The ‘no commitment’ stuff was bullshit, right?”
  • SATURDAY (Every Minute): Laughing, Skyler took his hand. “I’ll make a mental note to keep my expectations low where you’re concerned.”

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Week 30: June 11, 2017 – June 17, 2017

DAY PACE TIME DISTANCE
Sunday  30 min/mile  33:15 min:sec  1.1 miles
Monday  30 min/mile  41:11 min:sec  1.3 miles
Tuesday  30 min/mile  30:19 min:sec  1 mile
Wednesday  30 min/mile  31:39 min:sec  1 mile
Thursday  30 min/mile  31:49 min:sec  1 mile
Friday  30 min/mile  30:06 min:sec  1 mile
Saturday  30 min/mile  31:12 min:sec  1 mile

Treadmill Week 29 & What I #amreading

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Goals:

  • Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
  • Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
  • Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
  • Distance 1-2 miles per day
  • Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (the only exception to this is Saturday nights, if I want to finish off a book so I can start a fresh one for the new week)

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my daily #amreading updates may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

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What I #amreading: The Monet Murders (Art of Murder #2) by Josh Lanyon

51HExIG4UWL My favorite lines this week:

  • SUNDAY: The pier deck was filled, as were the lower lots barricaded by black and whites, their blue and red LED lights flashing in the night like sinister amusement-park rides.
  • MONDAY: Don’t patronize me, Jason thought bitterly. He could feel Kennedy willing him to look up and meet his gaze. Jason continued to study the photos. One thing you learned in the Bureau was how to hide your feelings.
  • TUESDAY: Well, you’ve got my interest,” Durrand said meaningfully, and if Jason still had any doubts as to Durrand’s sexuality, that mischievous pucker of a smile put them to rest. “Why don’t you come back to my office?”
  • WEDNESDAY: Suddenly it wasn’t funny anymore. “What the hell does that have to do with anything?”
  • THURSDAY: Or maybe Jason was getting paranoid in his old age. Spending too much time with a guy like Sam Kennedy would make anyone start to see the dark side of every human interaction.
  • FRIDAY: Full moons, thunder and lightning, dark and stormy nights were the staples of both thriller and horror films, but in Jason’s opinion there was nothing more mysterious or eerie than fog winding its silent, sinuous way through the woods, smothering sight and sound in a soft white shroud.
  • SATURDAY: The smell of rain and damp earth drifted into the too-hot room. They couldn’t quite mask the other thing he smelled.

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Week 29: June 4, 2017 – June 10, 2017

DAY PACE TIME DISTANCE
Sunday  30 min/mile  30:42 min:sec  1 mile
Monday  30 min/mile  30:30 min:sec  1 mile
Tuesday  30 min/mile  30:12 min:sec  1 mile
Wednesday  30 min/mile  31:45 min:sec  1 mile
Thursday  30 min/mile  36:33 min:sec  1.2 miles
Friday  30 min/mile  31:03 min:sec  1 mile
Saturday  30 min/mile  30:13 min:sec  1 mile

Treadmill Week 28 & What I #amreading

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Goals:

  • Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
  • Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
  • Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
  • Distance 1-2 miles per day
  • Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (the only exception to this is Saturday nights, if I want to finish off a book so I can start a fresh one for the new week)

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my daily #amreading updates may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

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What I #amreading: The Mermaid Murders (Art of Murder #1) by Josh Lanyon

I just bought The Monet Murders (Art of Murder #2) and figured I should reread this one first. I know the mysteries are unrelated, but I want to get a good feel for the romance arc.

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My favorite lines this week:

  • SUNDAY: Kennedy threw him a sardonic look as they exited the parking lot. Or at least the twist of his mouth was sardonic. The dark Oakleys he wore concealed his eyes. He looked to be in his mid-forties. Not handsome, but he had the kind of face you didn’t forget easily. Although Jason was going to try his best the minute this case was over.
  • MONDAY: Jason positioned himself next to the front door. It afforded a cattycorner view of the kitchen, which was in the process of either being remodeled or sold for parts.
  • TUESDAY: McEnroe shook his head, but whether he meant no or you’re out of your mind was unclear.
  • WEDNESDAY: Kennedy made a sound of acknowledgment. Or maybe that was as close as he got to amusement.
  • THURSDAY: It took a little over an hour to make the trek, and that was due more to the caution that had to be exercised crawling through the Sleeping Beauty wall of thorns growing under the underpass.
  • FRIDAY: Kennedy’s eyes met his. Kennedy grinned. The effect of that broad white display of perfect teeth was startling. He looked younger and a lot friendlier.
  • SATURDAY: I tapped that. The unbidden memory startled him. Or maybe what startled him was that the memory made him feel sorry of warm and tingly.

Yes, I mowed on Saturday, but I finished the book, so I worked in a snippet anyway.

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Week 28: May 28, 2017 – June 3, 2017

DAY PACE TIME DISTANCE
Sunday  30 min/mile  30:25 min:sec  1 mile
Monday  30 min/mile  30:09 min:sec  1 mile
Tuesday  30 min/mile  30:58 min:sec  1 mile
Wednesday  30 min/mile  30:57 min:sec  1 mile
Thursday  30 min/mile  33:13 min:sec  1.1 miles
Friday  30 min/mile  30:41 min:sec  1 mile
Saturday  30 min/mile  1-1/2 hours mowed and trimmed front and back yards.

Treadmill Week 27 & What I #amreading

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Goals:

  • Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
  • Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
  • Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
  • Distance 1-2 miles per day
  • Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (the only exception to this is Saturday nights, if I want to finish off a book so I can start a fresh one for the new week)

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my daily #amreading updates may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

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What I #amreading: Enigma by Nephy Hart

This is one of the items I won in that online charity auction benefitting LGBT Chechens.

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My favorite lines this week:

  • SUNDAY: Quite suddenly, it occurs to me that I’m staring and not being very professional at all. I force a tight, professional smile, not the goofy grin that’s threatening to break out at any moment.
  • MONDAY: I groan exaggeratedly. “You know what she’s like when she’s getting ready. I’ll starve to death while we’re waiting.”
  • TUESDAY: “Well, the choice is pretty simple. You can either wear jeans and a T-shirt, or jeans and a T-shirt… or jeans… and a T-shirt.”
  • WEDNESDAY: “Want to talk?” Do I? Do I want to talk about all the things I’ve been bottling up for so long? Do I want to talk about a chapter in my life that’s been closed for ten years? Do I want to pick the scab off that sore place that almost tore me in half?
  • THURSDAY: I’ve no interest at all in seeing what he paints; I’m too fascinated by watching him do it. He seems completely sure of what he’s doing. There are no pauses, no stepping back to ponder; he just paints.
  • FRIDAY: 😔
  • SATURDAY: Surprised, I smile at him. “Of course.” Taking the brush, I stand behind him and brush his hair, relishing the way it feels as it flows through my fingers, watching him in the mirror. He tilts his head back slightly and half closes his eyes, the expression on his face one of pure pleasure.

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Week 27: May 21, 2017 – May 27, 2017

DAY PACE TIME DISTANCE
Sunday  30 min/mile  30:53 min:sec  1 mile
Monday  30 min/mile  41:27 min:sec  1.3 miles
Tuesday  30 min/mile  30:16 min:sec  1 mile
Wednesday  30 min/mile  31:57 min:sec  1 mile
Thursday  30 min/mile  30:19 min:sec  1 mile
Friday  30 min/mile  1 hour  Mowed Yard
Saturday  30 min/mile  30:38 min:sec  1 mile

Treadmill Week 26 & What I #amreading

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Goals:

  • Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
  • Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
  • Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
  • Distance 1-2 miles per day
  • Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (the only exception to this is Saturday nights, if I want to finish off a book so I can start a fresh one for the new week)

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my daily #amreading updates may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

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What I #amreading: A Stranger in Skoria and A Slave in Skoria by John Tristan

These are rereads. I loved the books, and it’s been a while since I’ve read them.

51fXS2GXXTLMy favorite lines this week:

  • SUNDAY: We shared a glance, like coconspirators. For a moment everything was treacherously normal. Then he reached up and touched my cheek, his mouth turning down prettily, and said, “You’re going to be all right.”
  • MONDAY: One of his crewmen—a three-eyed woman, her skin red as brick—had come to his door. He cleared his throat and pulled back from me, seeming almost embarrassed.
  • TUESDAY: Suddenly Elyn stopped and turned to glare at me. I mentally replayed the last few minutes and became aware zie had been speaking to me. I’d not heard a word. I’d been too absorbed in studying the metal tangle of the Rumor.
  • WEDNESDAY: I thought of Theo, of Helen, and the others at the library. How long would it be until they noticed I was gone? I didn’t have much of a family to speak of anymore. They might be the only ones who would notice. Where would they think I’d gone, I wondered? Well, whatever they thought they’d be wrong. I was pretty sure “alien love slave” wouldn’t be in their mental list of my possible fates.
  • THURSDAY: 😒
  • 51b3AOiM9HLFRIDAY: “Greetings!” Aedar sounded strangely cheery. One of his guns rested casually on his knee as he leaned over the rim of the boat. “Sorry to see you’ve gotten stuck. Can we help take a few things off your hands?”
  • SATURDAY: I looked up at him with a sullen frown and tried to cover why nakedness with my hands. “Yeah? Well, nice to meet you. I’m Jason Vale. Now can you tell me what the hell is going on?”

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Week 26: May 14, 2017 – May 20, 2017

DAY PACE TIME DISTANCE
Sunday  30 min/mile  30:21 min:sec  1 mile
Monday  30 min/mile  35:31 min:sec  1.1 miles
Tuesday  30 min/mile  30:34 min:sec  1 mile
Wednesday  30 min/mile  32:02 min:sec  1 mile
Thursday  30 min/mile  1-1/2 hours  Mowed, trimmed, and blew both from and back yards.
Friday  30 min/mile  31:02 min:sec  1 mile
Saturday  30 min/mile  30:22 min:sec  1 mile

Treadmill Week 25 & What I #amreading

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Goals:

  • Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
  • Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
  • Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
  • Distance 1-2 miles per day
  • Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (the only exception to this is Saturday nights, if I want to finish off a book so I can start a fresh one for the new week)

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my daily #amreading updates may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

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What I #amreading: Clear Water by Amy Lane

Treadmill #amreading - Amy Lane - Amy's Lite Contemporary - Shiny! - Going Up! - Clear Water - Gambling Men
My favorite lines this week:

  • SUNDAY: One drink of beer. He swore that was all he had.
  • MONDAY: Patrick opened his mouth in protest, but Fly Bait’s flat, unimpressed stare stopped him.
  • TUESDAY: What in the fuck was coming out of his mouth? Seriously? What was that funky bullshit he was spewing? If any of his students could hear him now, they’d be getting out mops to clean up the bricks they would have just shit on the deck.
  • WEDNESDAY: “—you can’t love a guy you don’t trust. You didn’t trust him, you didn’t love him, you can’t hate him.”
  • THURSDAY: 😔
  • FRIDAY: This time, the look Patrick shot him was much less irritable. “It’s a good thing you’re not trying to get in my pants,” he said mildly. “Your technique sucks.”
  • SATURDAY: Patrick took a breath, and it hurt, like holding your breath too long underwater hurt, or breathing through a glass storm would hurt, “What other shit?”

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Week 25: May 7, 2017 – May 13, 2017

DAY PACE TIME DISTANCE
Sunday  30 min/mile  33:34 min:sec  1.1 miles
Monday  30 min/mile  30:05 min:sec  1 mile
Tuesday  30 min/mile  30:06 min:sec  1 mile
Wednesday  30 min/mile  33:55 min:sec  1.1 miles
Thursday  30 min/mile  1 hour  Mowed Lawn
Friday  30 min/mile  30:15 min:sec  1 mile
Saturday  30 min/mile  30:49 min:sec  1 mile

Treadmill Week 24 & what I #amreading

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Goals:

  • Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
  • Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
  • Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
  • Distance 1-2 miles per day
  • Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (the only exception to this is Saturday nights, if I want to finish off a book so I can start a fresh one for the new week)

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my daily #amreading updates may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

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What I #amreading: Hoarfrost (Whyborne & Griffin VI) by Jordan L. Hawk

(I’m continuing from where I left off last week, because I don’t know that I’ll have a lot of time off-treadmill for reading this week and I want to get this finished! 😁)

51pnd0ksf3l-_sl_300_ My favorite lines this week:

  • SUNDAY: Christine snorted; the cold air made her nostrils steam like charging bulls. “Bah! Whyborne has pieced together cuneiform tablets shattered into a hundred pieces. This is barely an afternoon’s entertainment for him.”
  • MONDAY: A veritable rainbow of colors streamed across the heavens: green, white, and red, shading into violet. It looked as if the sky itself burned, and the glacier reflected the colors eerily.
  • TUESDAY: A short time later, we once again stood beneath the glacier. The ice above us creaked and groaned like a living thing, and a shiver when through me. God, I hoped the sounds were ordinary and didn’t herald a collapse of some sort.
  • WEDNESDAY: 😔
  • THURSDAY: “Indeed.” Christine nodded toward the depths. “And with that cheery thought to inspire us, let’s try to find our way out of here, shall we?”
  • FRIDAY: “Down,” I said. Because down was where all the terrible things lived, wasn’t it? Down beneath the earth, beneath the ocean. In the dreams haunting us beneath the surface of sleep.
  • SATURDAY: Tears stung my eyes, accompanied by a longing to see Griffin again. If only I knew he was safe. I tried to picture him back in Widdershins, sitting in our study with our cat on his lap, some other man beside him. My throat tightened, and I brought my left hand to my mouth, resting the cool ring of gold against my lips. Ah, God, I almost heard his voice.

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Week 24: April 30, 2017 – May 6, 2017

DAY PACE TIME DISTANCE
Sunday  30 min/mile  36:07 min:sec  1.2 miles
Monday  30 min/mile  35:44 min:sec  1.1 miles
Tuesday  30 min/mile  33:44 min:sec  1.1 miles
Wednesday  30 min/mile  1 hour  Mowed Lawn
Thursday  30 min/mile  32:15 min:sec  1 mile
Friday  30 min/mile  30:11 min:sec  1 mile
Saturday  30 min/mile  30:47 min:sec  1 mile

Treadmill Week 23 & What I #amreading

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Goals:

  • Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
  • Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
  • Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
  • Distance 1-2 miles per day
  • Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (the only exception to this is Saturday nights, if I want to finish off a book so I can start a fresh one for the new week)

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my daily #amreading updates may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

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What I #amreading: Hoarfrost (Whyborne & Griffin VI) by Jordan L. Hawk

51pnd0ksf3l-_sl_300_ My favorite lines this week:

  • SUNDAY: A little tingle ran up my arm. There was something here after all.
  • MONDAY: I’d almost reached the library without encountering anyone save for a few curators. For a moment, I considered pretending I hadn’t heard Bradley, but past experience taught me he’d only keep calling until I gave up and acknowledged his presence.
  • TUESDAY: 😢
  • WEDNESDAY: I lay rigidly on my back in the bed. To my left, a bony man twitched and muttered in his sleep. To my right, and enormous fellow let out snores that could probably be heard in Canada. The bunk above us sagged alarmingly, and the entire room echoed to a chorus of snores, wheezing, and other, even more indelicate sounds. I doubted most of the men had bathed this week, and those who didn’t reek of sweat were pickled in alcohol.
  • THURSDAY: He sighed, and a rueful smile curled one corner of his mouth. “No. I’m afraid I don’t.”
  • FRIDAY: “Well, no, but that’s in general.” Whyborne flapped his hand vaguely. “This is…specific.”
  • SATURDAY: We lingered over slices of what was alleged to be pie, although in my experience pie ordinarily had less dough and more filling.

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Week 23: April 23, 2017 – April 29, 2017

DAY PACE TIME DISTANCE
Sunday  30 min/mile  30:55 min:sec  1 mile
Monday  30 min/mile  30:21 min:sec  1 mile
Tuesday  30 min/mile  1 hour 30 min.  Trimmed, mowed, and blew both front and back yards.
Wednesday  30 min/mile  32:12 min:sec  1 mile
Thursday  30 min/mile  31:13 min:sec  1 mile
Friday  30 min/mile  30:23 min:sec  1 mile
Saturday  30 min/mile  30:50 min:sec  1 mile

Treadmill Week 22 & What I #amreading

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Goals:

  • Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
  • Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
  • Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
  • Distance 1-2 miles per day
  • Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (the only exception to this is Saturday nights, if I want to finish off a book so I can start a fresh one for the new week)

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my daily #amreading updates may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

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What I #amreading: Wake Up Call by J.L. Merrow

WakeUpCall_500x750 My favorite lines this week:

  • SUNDAY: The old git had disappeared somewhere, to change a barrel or maybe to drink one, so the bar was now staffed by a middle-aged-to-elderly barmaid who looked like she’d run out of fucks to give a week ago last Tuesday.
  • MONDAY: Kyle didn’t say anything, but his shoulders had relaxed. Dev snuck a glance at the man’s face. With the beard and all, even neatly trimmed, he had a sort of wild look. Like he belonged out here, with the cliffs and the sea and all that dodgy history of smugglers and wreckers.
  • TUESDAY: “What, particularly smelly round here, are they? Must be feeding ’em too much seafood. Mind you, my mate Baz’s farts are well rank, and he can’t stand fish. So are you doing, like, evening classes in Cornish or something?”
  • WEDNESDAY: [Much as it killed me to pass on reading today (due to mowing), between NaNoWriMo and critique/beta obligations, I didn’t have the time today.]
  • THURSDAY: Dev sat on the beach gazing out to sea until the hot sun had dried him off enough to get his kit back on. His kecks were still pretty soggy—not to mention sandy, because there was a limit to how long he was prepared to stand there in public dusting off his own arse—but that couldn’t be helped. Anyway, even if a wet patch soaked through onto his jeans, hopefully people would assume he’d been in the sea rather than that he’d peed himself.
  • FRIDAY: Dev broke into a sunny grin. “You kidding? Anything up from spaggihoops out of a can is dead posh in my book.” He stepped inside as he spoke and closed the door behind him.
  • SATURDAY: Maybe looking for someone to off-load to, if she was in the mood to listen which, yeah, knowing her, he ought to give up on that hope right now. Although if he did manage to get her to listen, she’d probably be up for calling him a stupid tosser when he’d finished. It’d be good to see her, anyhow.

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Week 22: April 16, 2017 – April 22, 2017

DAY PACE TIME DISTANCE
Sunday  30 min/mile  30:56 min:sec  1 mile
Monday  30 min/mile  32:09 min:sec  1 mile
Tuesday  30 min/mile  30:18 min:sec  1 mile
Wednesday  30 min/mile  1 hour (Approx. I mowed front & back. Didn’t set stopwatch.)  Don’t know. Bonus points for the hills?
Thursday  30 min/mile  34:03 min:sec  1.1 miles
Friday  30 min/mile  30:29 min:sec  1 mile
Saturday  30 min/mile  30:19 min:sec  1 mile

Treadmill Week 21 & What I #amreading

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Goals:

  • Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
  • Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
  • Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
  • Distance 1-2 miles per day
  • Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (the only exception to this is Saturday nights, if I want to finish off a book so I can start a fresh one for the new week)

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my daily #amreading updates may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

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What I #amreading: Rented Heart by Garrett Leigh

RentedHeart_500x750_0 My favorite lines this week:

  • SUNDAY: He tore himself away and drifted to the kitchen, despite knowing the fridge was empty. Staring at its bare shelves, he imagined what he’d eat if he didn’t need the cash he’d made over the weekend for rent.
  • MONDAY: The line went dead. Zac lowered his phone, but something about the way Liam had said his name had him staring at the blank screen for a long time.
  • TUESDAY: Zac’s bemusement was too endearing. Liam covered the fond smile threatening to break out by opening the cutlery drawer, except it wasn’t the cutlery drawer, and it took him three tries to find the right one.
  • WEDNESDAY: Zac laughed, he couldn’t help it. Jamie’s way of thinking had always been an odd, sadistic poetry, even when his fierce intelligence was dulled by the junk. “Can you chuck me off a bridge instead? I’d rather fly than swim. I don’t like the cold.”
  • THURSDAY: I mowed today instead of treadmill, but I read afterward: Zac slumped back in his seat, his irrational anger all but gone. The beer he’d drunk sloshed around in his belly and he felt a little sick, and cold too. Hettie’s heaters were whirring, but they didn’t seem to kick out much warmth. He closed his eyes, shivered, and rested his head against the window, wishing it was Liam’s shoulder.
  • FRIDAY: “I don’t believe that.” Liam held out his hand and pulled Zac back to the door. “I recon you can do amazing things. You just don’t know it yet.”
  • SATURDAY: If the question had come from anyone else, Liam would’ve dodged it—changed the subject and moved on—but somehow he knew that whatever answer he gave, Zac would understand.

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Week 21: April 9, 2017 – April 15, 2017

DAY PACE TIME DISTANCE
Sunday  30 min/mile  31:46 min:sec  1 mile
Monday  30 min/mile  30:35 min:sec  1 mile
Tuesday  30 min/mile  30:29 min:sec  1 mile
Wednesday  30 min/mile  30:07 min:sec  1 mile
Thursday  30 min/mile  30:00 min:sec  (Approx. I mowed front yard only and forgot to start stopwatch feature on phone.)
Friday  30 min/mile  33:56 min:sec  1.1 miles
Saturday  30 min/mile  30:11 min:sec  1 mile

Treadmill Week 20 & What I #amreading

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Goals:

  • Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
  • Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
  • Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
  • Distance 1-2 miles per day
  • Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (the only exception to this is Saturday nights, if I want to finish off a book so I can start a fresh one for the new week)

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my daily #amreading updates may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

◊  ◊  ◊  ◊  ◊

What I #amreading: Fair Chance (All’s Fair Book 3) by Josh Lanyon

5123q8jydtLMy favorite lines this week:

  • SUNDAY: The photo had been taken a few years earlier, before Roland’s hair and beard had started to silver. The Roland in the photo peered intimidatingly over his round spectacles as though he’d been interrupted in the midst of writing some groundbreaking essay on human rights violations. In fact, he simply didn’t like having his photo taken.
  • MONDAY: Tucker shook his head. “As your father would say, you’re one uptight cat, Mills.”
  • TUESDAY: He stretched his hand across the table. Tucker’s fingers laced his, gripping him back with equal warmth and strength.
  • WEDNESDAY: Elliot grimaced, but it was kind of nice not to have to pretend he wasn’t in pain when he was. Thankfully, they had moved past the stage where he felt honor-bound to constantly prove he was every bit as tough as Tucker, bum knee or not. And a lot of that was probably due to Tucker not being the kind of asshole who believed masculinity was about sexual endurance or bench-pressing your car.
  • THURSDAY: Elliot said, “And here I thought the evening couldn’t get any weirder.
  • FRIDAY: Elliot continued to sit in the lot while cars came and went, commuters picking up and dropping off. A typical busy Monday morning and no one seemed to have noticed that over the course of the weekend the world had been knocked clean out of orbit.
  • SATURDAY: Even though I mowed, I did finish the book afterward. So I’ll go ahead and give favorite line anyway: It was the worried kindness, the sincere concern that got to him, made him feel about seven years old again, when there was pretty much nothing his father couldn’t set right for him, and for one awful moment Elliot feared he was going  to break down.

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Week 20: April 2, 2017 – April 8, 2017

DAY PACE TIME DISTANCE
Sunday  30 min/mile  40:43 min:sec  1.3 miles
Monday  30 min/mile  32:38 min:sec  1 mile
Tuesday  30 min/mile  33:40 min:sec  1.1 miles
Wednesday  30 min/mile  37:35 min:sec  1.2 miles
Thursday  30 min/mile  36:13 min:sec  1.2 miles
Friday  30 min/mile  35:47 min:sec  1.1 miles
Saturday  Who knows?  40:29 min:sec (Front)

32:08 min:sec (Back)

 Dunno, I mowed the lawn instead of treadmill. Trust me, it was a bigger workout.

Treadmill Week 19 & What I #amreading

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Goals:

  • Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
  • Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
  • Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
  • Distance 1-2 miles per day
  • Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (the only exception to this is Saturday nights, if I want to finish off a book so I can start a fresh one for the new week)

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my daily #amreading updates may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

◊  ◊  ◊  ◊  ◊

What I #amreading: Unspeakable Words (2nd edition) by Sarah Madison

I loved the first edition of this book (love the whole series) and have been dying to seeing what’s been added in this new, expanded edition.

UnspeakableWordsFS_v2
My favorite lines this week:

  • SUNDAY: He glanced around, trying to see his rooms with a stranger’s eyes. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with neat, orderly rows of books and CDs. What would stand out more? The wide-ranging collection itself or the fact it was arranged in alphabetical order?
  • MONDAY: “You’re an odd duck, Parker,” Flynn said with a smile that made the comment seem friendly, rather than an insult.
  • TUESDAY: “I am not,” Flynn said, one hand on the steering wheel as he crowded Jerry, his eyes angry and intense, “part elf.”
  • WEDNESDAY: “Stop the car! Stop the car!” Flynn pounded on the dash and unbuckled the seat belt even as Jerry screeched to a halt.
  • THURSDAY: “It’s quite possible you have a thing for Alan Rickman, you know?”
  • FRIDAY: If Flynn were a dog, his hackles would have been raised. “And yet she was obviously right to be concerned. She did indeed know a killer.”
  • SATURDAY: “It’s not cheating when it happens to be true.” Flynn captured Jerry’s hand and held it still.

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Week 19: March 26, 2017 – April 1, 2017

DAY PACE TIME DISTANCE
Sunday  30 min/mile  31:07 min:sec  1 mile
Monday  30 min/mile  36:05 min:sec  1.2 miles
Tuesday  30 min/mile  39:54 min:sec  1.3 miles
Wednesday  30 min/mile  38:46 min:sec  1.2 miles
Thursday  30 min/mile  61:00 min:sec  2 miles
Friday  30 min/mile  39:09 min:sec  1.3 miles
Saturday  30 min/mile  34:14 min:sec  1.1 miles

 

Treadmill Week 18 & What I #amreading

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Goals:

  • Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
  • Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
  • Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
  • Distance 1-2 miles per day
  • Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (the only exception to this is Saturday nights, if I want to finish off a book so I can start a fresh one for the new week)

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my daily #amreading updates may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

◊  ◊  ◊  ◊  ◊

What I #amreading: Abomination by Jaye Valentine

51WJ6Aq2vvL My favorite lines this week:

  • SUNDAY: Sighing, Scott closed the door and turned around to face his surprise visitor. “Which part of one-night-stand did you not get?”
  • MONDAY: “Your grasp of the obvious is mind-boggling,” Jesse said, following Scott into the living room. “Is that how you made detective?”
  • TUESDAY: Scott raised his arms in the air, closed his eyes and started swaying, but he didn’t picture Jesus in his head. A mental image of Jesse in a compromising position put a rapturous smile on Scott’s face with little effort, helping him to blend in.
  • WEDNESDAY: “That’s totally normal behavior,” Officer Nolan said to Scott. “If poor people are crazy and rich people are eccentric, there’s a whole mess of eccentric in that family.”
  • THURSDAY: Ivan mimicked the gesture. “You’re awfully smart for such a pretty boy.”
  • FRIDAY: “I have a bad feeling about his.” Kevin yanked off the covers. “I hope this plan was worth the cost.”
  • SATURDAY: Jesse held his tongue and turned his head in the opposite direction, not surprised at how little he cared about his father’s opinion.

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Week 18: March 19, 2017 – March 25, 2017

DAY PACE TIME DISTANCE
Sunday  30 min/mile  31:32 min:sec  1 mile
Monday  30 min/mile  31:58 min:sec  1 mile
Tuesday  30 min/mile  31:09 min:sec  1 mile
Wednesday  30 min/mile  34:13 min:sec  1.1 miles
Thursday  30 min/mile  33:53 min:sec  1.1 miles
Friday  30 min/mile  31:28 min:sec  1 mile
Saturday  30 min/mile  33:47 min:sec  1.1 miles

Treadmill Week 17 & What I #amreading

Posted on by under Treadmill Self-Challenge

Treadmill Goals:

  • Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
  • Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
  • Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
  • Distance 1-2 miles per day
  • Read the chosen book, which I won’t allow myself to read outside of my treadmill time, hopefully motivating me to reach or exceed the above goals (the only exception to this is Saturday nights, if I want to finish off a book so I can start a fresh one for the new week)

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my daily #amreading updates may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

◊  ◊  ◊  ◊  ◊

What I #amreading: Eyes Only for Me by Andrew Grey

EyesOnlyForMeFS
My favorite lines this week:

  • SUNDAY: He squeezed my face between his hands. “I’ll tell you what you always tell me: ‘Let it go.'”
  • MONDAY: I rolled my eyes as he threw my own words back at me. “Fuck you.”
  • TUESDAY: “You know…,” he started suggestively, and I had a very strong suspicion where this was going.
  • WEDNESDAY: “You know I can obsess over shit better than anyone—it’s one of my gifts.” He smiled and then glanced down at his lap. “That’s another of my gifts, if you know what I mean.”
  • THURSDAY: “…I’ve always known you were a strong personality, but to know that under the bravado, vulgarity, and quick wit is someone with more courage than I’ve ever known makes me proud to be your friend.” I closed my eyes and tried to stop the damn tears from welling.
  • FRIDAY: “It doesn’t make you any less of a man or a person to be honest with yourself and ask for what you think you need.” I stroked his cheek. “It takes strength to be different, the same courage it takes to ask for what’s in your heart.”
  • SATURDAY: “Then you need to talk about it. You can’t forget something that’s bothering you. All you can do is let it go.”

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Week 17: March 12, 2017 – March 18, 2017

DAY PACE TIME DISTANCE
Sunday  30 min/mile  30:36 min:sec  1 mile
Monday  30 min/mile  30:10 min:sec  1 mile
Tuesday  30 min/mile  30:12 min:sec  1 mile
Wednesday  30 min/mile  30:20 min:sec  1 mile
Thursday  30 min/mile  31:17 min:sec  1 mile
Friday  30 min/mile  30:10 min:sec  1 mile
Saturday  30 min/mile  30:23 min:sec  1 mile