If driving were an aerobic activity...

I'd be one of the fittest people in the world!!

How many roundtrips to school do you think I made last week? To help you decide, take into consideration that I have two high schoolers playing varsity basketball, neither of whom is old enough to drive, and that I volunteered for way too many committees at their school this year. Would you have guessed 16? If so, then you're right! Yes, I had to put over $140 worth of gas in my van over about a nine-day period. I'm telling you, if driving were aerobic, my fitness capacity would be getting into Lance Armstrong territory.

I've actually managed to read a few more books amidst all the driving, but not while actually driving. Sometimes at stoplights, but not while the car's in motion. ;)

#158 is Reflex by Steven Gould. This is the sequel to Jumper and deals with Davy's life as an adult and his capture by rogue elements that want to control him. Very claustrophobia-inducing in parts, which was my reaction to one of his earlier books as well. After Davy goes missing, his wife finds that she's learned to teleport also. Interesting premise nicely handled.

#159 is Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl. This is my Book Group book for the month and it's a memoir. Reichl is Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet and she uses food as the entry point to her stories about the memorable characters who've inhabited her life. She also includes enticing recipes with every selection. I may try a few out. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys memoirs and/or loves food.

#160 is Jesus Land: A Memoir by Julia Scheeres. One of the mom's at school recommended this one to me. It's another memoir, this one a searing look at life in an evangelical family whose outward commitment to tolerance and diversity (they adopted two African American sons) didn't prevent incredible mistreatment of their chilren. The author and her adopted brother David (one of the aforementioned sons) end up being sent to a Christian reform school in Dominican Republic where submission and obedience are demanded. Moving and powerful and amply illustrates that saying you love Jesus doesn't by any stretch of the imagination mean that you're a good person.

In other news, I'm very excited to report that I ordered a laptop yesterday. Dell is building it as we speak and it's going to be mine! All mine. I went for one of their color options which leads me to a completely frivolous question.

[Poll #1089802]

*Note that these color descriptions are by Dell, not yours truly. I'm not responsible for the floridness of the language.

Finally, as my icon indicates, I love Chuck. It's my favorite show of the year and I'm sad that the strike might kill it in its infancy. There needs to be good fic. Anyone know of any?

If driving were an aerobic activity...

I'd be one of the fittest people in the world!!

How many roundtrips to school do you think I made last week? To help you decide, take into consideration that I have two high schoolers playing varsity basketball, neither of whom is old enough to drive, and that I volunteered for way too many committees at their school this year. Would you have guessed 16? If so, then you're right! Yes, I had to put over $140 worth of gas in my van over about a nine-day period. I'm telling you, if driving were aerobic, my fitness capacity would be getting into Lance Armstrong territory.

I've actually managed to read a few more books amidst all the driving, but not while actually driving. Sometimes at stoplights, but not while the car's in motion. ;)

#158 is Reflex by Steven Gould. This is the sequel to Jumper and deals with Davy's life as an adult and his capture by rogue elements that want to control him. Very claustrophobia-inducing in parts, which was my reaction to one of his earlier books as well. After Davy goes missing, his wife finds that she's learned to teleport also. Interesting premise nicely handled.

#159 is Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl. This is my Book Group book for the month and it's a memoir. Reichl is Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet and she uses food as the entry point to her stories about the memorable characters who've inhabited her life. She also includes enticing recipes with every selection. I may try a few out. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys memoirs and/or loves food.

#160 is Jesus Land: A Memoir by Julia Scheeres. One of the mom's at school recommended this one to me. It's another memoir, this one a searing look at life in an evangelical family whose outward commitment to tolerance and diversity (they adopted two African American sons) didn't prevent incredible mistreatment of their chilren. The author and her adopted brother David (one of the aforementioned sons) end up being sent to a Christian reform school in Dominican Republic where submission and obedience are demanded. Moving and powerful and amply illustrates that saying you love Jesus doesn't by any stretch of the imagination mean that you're a good person.

In other news, I'm very excited to report that I ordered a laptop yesterday. Dell is building it as we speak and it's going to be mine! All mine. I went for one of their color options which leads me to a completely frivolous question.

[Poll #1089802]

*Note that these color descriptions are by Dell, not yours truly. I'm not responsible for the floridness of the language.

Finally, as my icon indicates, I love Chuck. It's my favorite show of the year and I'm sad that the strike might kill it in its infancy. There needs to be good fic. Anyone know of any?