Wow, I can’t believe I’m actually home all of September and all of October without a trip planned.
The Marine Corps Marathon is the end of October, and I was pretty determined this year not to travel during the weekends where I was to be running 18-22 miles. Because not doing those runs as scheduled hasn’t really worked so well the last 2 times I’ve tried (or maybe I’m just a whiner instead of a suck-it-up-er at mile 23…debatable). I even resisted when I found out my mom is going to Brussels…I seriously cannot believe that dedication to running beat out my love for Tin Tin, Snowy, and associated paraphernalia.
Yes, This Hangs on the Wall in the 2nd Bedroom, Should You Wonder What Tin Tin Paraphernalia Is…
Last year I went to New Hampshire to see my horse in October. New Hampshire is stunningly beautiful in the fall, and I certainly will miss the leaves and crisp air. But if all goes as planned, my horse is actually coming to Virginia! We haven’t been near each other for a long time–though I’ve owned her for 13 years–so it will be a bit of a change. But I found a barn where I think she will be happy and well taken care of.
(There is a very long drawn out story of a constantly frustrating horse here, but I’ll save you the details. Think of a horse as a giant, lovable, sink hole for your money).
Sorry, Sterly. You’ll Have to Make Do With Less Scenery in Virginia.
On another note, I don’t think it’s any secret that I’m obsessed with Africa and spy books/movies/tv shows, so:
I finally got around to seeing the movie The Good Lie, and even got DH to watch with me. While Africa is beyond beautiful, it also is full of despair, tragedy, and war. While the story of the Sudanese Lost Boys is hopeful, the refugee problem facing Kenya (and the persecution and war facing those in Sudan and Somali) is far from over. For example, Kakuma refugee camp continues to host tens of thousands of Sudanese, and even the UN reports that they have been coming from South Sudan in record numbers. Anyway, it IS a good movie and I think brings attention to something that many Americans–as a whole–probably don’t think about with any real frequency. Let’s not even talk about what percentage could identify Sudan or South Sudan on a map.
I also finished reading the book The Spy’s Son: The True Story of the Highest-Ranking CIA Officer Ever Convicted of Espionage and the Son He Trained to Spy for Russia. I really enjoyed it–if you like spy books, particularly non-fiction, pick it up. It’s an incredible story of a spy who deceives and manipulates his son into picking up where he left off when he was jailed for spying for Russia. I could absolutely see this as a movie in the future. Even for a spook, Jim Nicholson (the father who was convicted of spying) is deceiving beyond belief and betrays his entire family for Russia. Reality check: this takes family drama and parental manipulation to a whole new level.
Happy Labor Day Weekend! I’m doing nothing but running (and subsequently icing), cleaning/organizing, hanging with the husband and the dog, and sleeping. Sounds like the perfect three-day weekend! Eh…maybe I’ll throw some trip planning in there too..it’s been awhile and I’m starting to twitch again.
