- This check-in is for October 12th – 18th.
- I slowed things down considerably this week, just in time to come down with some sinus thing. Luckily, I had bought plenty of soup since I already knew the temperatures were going to drop enough for it to finally feel like Fall.
- The only activity I had planned for yesterday besides Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon was going to see “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” I’m glad I went, but it did mean I only finished one book for the readathon, and I also ended up having to take a nap shortly after I got home.
- It’s raining today and my stomach isn’t feeling well on top of being sick, so I’m ordering groceries instead of trying to venture outdoors. Since I’m not going anywhere, my plan for the day (besides resting) is making bread in my bread machine and drinking large amounts of herbal tea with honey.
- My A1C, cholesterol, and other numbers haven’t changed from last year! There was one test result that has my doctor concerned, though, and she’s referring me to a Rheumatologist.
- Exercise Days: 1/7
- Steps: 34,534
- Miles: 13.98/16.31
- Total Miles: 649.94/850
- Zone Minutes: 80/150
Building the Book Fort
“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.
Currently Reading:
- Handbook for the Heartbroken by Sara Avant Stover
- Beyond the Count ed. by Margo Bond Collins
- The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
Finished:
- Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater
- A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
- Tales from the Gas Station: Volume Two by Jack Townsend
Total pages read this week (and last week): 608
Total books read: 91 of 95
TBR (goal is -24): -28
#ShelfLove Challenge: 52 of 51
Living in this apartment is becoming a bit of a nightmare. There have been constant problems requiring the water to be shut off on multiple days and none of the other maintenance requests I submitted when I moved in have been completed. I keep telling myself I only have to put up with this for a year and then I can move.
My doctor called me on Thursday with some concerning news about one of the tests she ordered. She’s referring me to a Rheumatologist. I’m hoping it’s nothing, and I’m doing my best not to worry about it.
Today is Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon! I’ll be reading as much as possible today, but anything I post will be on Litsy.
What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for October 5th – 11th.
- This week was really stressful and I’m resting today and waiting until tomorrow to do anything else other than laundry.
- My doctor thinks the pain in my hands, particularly my right hand, is tendonitis. Which means I’ve been doing too much. Yes, I already knew this, but when your doctor tells you that, the best thing is to heed the warning. While I’m waiting for the results of the x-rays and the labs she ordered to rule out regular arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, I’m taking a look at my To-Do list and cutting as much as possible.
- My garden gave me another giant eggplant and a whole lot more bell peppers, so I’m coming up with inexpensive ways to use them before they go bad. I still have everything I need to make an eggplant lasagna, which I’ll do either tonight or tomorrow night. Last night I cooked up a package of cheese tortellini, chopped up a couple of bell peppers, and added a jar of pasta sauce for a quick, easy, and comforting dinner after a long day of still doing far too much.
- The “far too much” was getting the rest of my gardening stuff from my ex’s garage, but I did at least get his help. The only thing left is my basil plant because I have no where to put it right now that my cats won’t be able to get to and destroy it. I did realize that I needed a break before I did anything else and took a nap, but then I decided to go to Costco. I only went so I wouldn’t have to go today or tomorrow, and I really needed to get laundry detergent so I could get caught up on my laundry.
- While I have to wait to find out my A1C, cholesterol, and other numbers, my blood pressure and weight were surprisingly really good. I haven’t gained any weight from the last time I weighed myself a couple of months ago, and I have no idea how that happened considering how much junk I’ve been eating. I’m still working on getting back on track with eating and exercise, but I feel much better knowing the past few months haven’t completely derailed my physical health. My mental health is a bit of a different matter, but I’m working on that as well.
- Exercise Days: 0/7
- Steps: 41,473
- Miles: 16.58/16.31
- Total Miles: 635.96/850
- Zone Minutes: 19/150
Building the Book Fort
“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.
Currently Reading:
- Handbook for the Heartbroken by Sara Avant Stover
- Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater
- Beyond the Count ed. by Margo Bond Collins
- Tales from the Gas Station: Volume Two by Jack Townsend
Finished:
- The Curious Vanishing of Beatrice Willoughby by G.Z. Schmidt
- Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
- The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
Total pages read this week (and last week): 875
Total books read: 88 of 95
TBR (goal is -24): -27
#ShelfLove Challenge: 51 of 51
It took a week, several phone calls, and a couple of visits to the apartment office to get the dryer vent in my apartment cleaned out. On top of that, my hands started hurting really badly this week. I thought it was synovitis at first (which I’ve had in the past), but then the pain changed and I knew it wasn’t synovitis. Luckily, I had a appointment with my Doctor on Friday, and she thinks it’s tendonitis. Being in pain, dealing with the apartment stuff, and feeling overwhelmed by everything I still have to get done, sent my stress levels back up.
I did manage to get the remaining stuff I had at my ex’s house today, though. I just need to figure out where to put it all and then do all of my laundry. Beyond that, I’m resting as much as possible. I’m participating in the #JustOneMoreChapter readathon on Litsy, and I’m hoping to finish a couple of books before I return to work on Tuesday.
What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for September 28th – October 4th.
- This week hasn’t been nearly as stressful as the couple of weeks before it.
- I’ve gotten most of my belongings unpacked, put away, and organized. The cats seem happy. We’re all settling into our routines. Now all I need are several bookshelves so I can unpack my books and get back into writing “Down the TBR Hole” posts, but that will have to wait until next month.
- Now that my life is slowing back down, I’m going to be working on returning to more healthy eating habits. I’ve eaten far too many meals from restaurants and fast food places. Even after I started “cooking” at home again, more often than not, those dinners consisted of Dinosaur nuggets, and other processed foods that I could easily throw in the oven or the microwave. I’ve had very few fruits or vegetables or anything else that didn’t come from a package.
- I have my annual appointment coming up and I know that my labs aren’t going to look good. I also know that I deserve a whole lot of grace for whatever the lab results are because I’ve managed to come through several major life changes without completely losing my mind. I will not allow my doctor or myself to beat me up for some numbers on a lab report or whatever the scale says.
- Exercise Days: 0/7
- Steps: 47,643
- Miles: 19.15/16.31
- Total Miles: 619.38/850
- Zone Minutes: 23/150
Building the Book Fort
“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.
Currently Reading:
- Handbook for the Heartbroken by Sara Avant Stover
- The Curious Vanishing of Beatrice Willoughby by G.Z. Schmidt
- Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater
- Beyond the Count ed. by Margo Bond Collins
Finished:
- How to Be the Love You Seek by Dr. Nicole LePera
- Running on Empty by Jonice Webb, PhD
- The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon
Total pages read this week (and last week): 1,012
Total books read: 85 of 90
TBR (goal is -24): -24
#ShelfLove Challenge: 48 of 51
I found a great deal on a washer and dryer, got it delivered, and then partly installed. Why not installed all the way? Because it turns out the dryer vent in my apartment is so clogged with lint from never being cleaned that it’s a fire hazard and the installer said he couldn’t hook up the dryer for liability reasons. While the apartment management does seem to be responsive and get maintenance to fix things fairly quickly, I’m finding the number of things that need fixing to be a bit concerning. This will be the 7th work order I’ve put in since I signed the lease.
Other than the frustrations of getting settled into a new place, my stress levels are down considerably. My fur children seem to have adjusted, most of my stuff has been unpacked and put somewhere (except the books), and I haven’t had to drive back and forth across town nearly as often this past week. The cats and I are getting back into our normal daily routines, and that means I’m reading a lot more and actually enjoying my free time. I am truly grateful for that for obvious reasons, but also because this is #RIP season! I might not have the energy to decorate this year, but I am definitely reading books that are more on the spooky and scary side until November 1st.
What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for September 14th – 27th.
- This has been a stressful and extremely busy two weeks. I won’t go into detail here since I wrote about my move yesterday.
- I was supposed to relax yesterday and do nothing but read, drink tea, and cuddle the cats. While I did do some reading, drank a lot of herbal tea, and definitely cuddled the cats (I even took a nap with my oldest fur child, Dresden), I spent a lot of my time updating my address everywhere and fighting with my printer to get it connected. I didn’t get out of my pajamas or go anywhere, though, so better than nothing.
- Today is going to be busy and interesting since I’ll be tackling all of the chores and errands on my own and I’m not familiar enough with the part of the city where I live to know my way to and from places like the grocery stores I prefer. I also have to go to my ex’s house to do my laundry, and later this afternoon I have a massage appointment (and I’m very much looking forward to that!).
- Exercise Days: 2 and 2/7
- Steps: 52,886 and 55,974
- Miles: 21.43 and 22.58/16.31
- Total Miles: 600.23/850
- Zone Minutes: 70 and 64/150
Building the Book Fort
“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.
Currently Reading:
- Handbook for the Heartbroken by Sara Avant Stover
- How to Be the Love You Seek by Dr. Nicole LePera
- Running on Empty by Jonice Webb, PhD
- The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon
Finished:
- No Time Like the Past by Jodi Taylor
- Doctor Who: The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
- Lock In by John Scalzi
Total pages read this week (and last week): 842
Total books read: 82 of 85
TBR (goal is -24): -22
#ShelfLove Challenge: 47 of 51
I signed my lease for the apartment last Friday, spent the entire weekend packing, making trips with stuff that I didn’t want the movers moving (food, really fragile stuff, important paperwork, etc.), and getting my computer and the internet set up. Surprisingly, the move itself on Monday was the least stressful part of the whole process, but with everything going on, I didn’t have the time or energy to write or post anything last week.
Nearly everything I’ve read for the past two weeks has been in the form of audiobooks while I was packing, driving back and forth, cleaning, unpacking, and generally feeling like I was going to fall apart at any moment. I’ve had panic attacks, a couple of days of severe depression, and a synovitis flare up (which I haven’t had in a couple of years). I would fall into bed exhausted each night, but then wake up around one or two in the morning and not be able to get back to sleep. On top of all of that, I still went to work everyday this week (other than moving day). Needless to say, I will be doing nothing but resting today. No unpacking, no driving, no errands. I’m not even going to change out of my pajamas. Just reading, drinking lots of herbal tea, and cuddling with my cats, who are still adjusting to our new home.
While not everything I’ve unpacked has been put away yet, most of what is still in boxes is art, decorations, and my books. I only have two small bookshelves until I can get to IKEA, but first I need to buy a washer and dryer. The apartment complex doesn’t have a laundry facility, and while I will be able to do my laundry at my ex’s house for a little while, he will eventually be selling the house. So, it will likely be a couple of months until I finally get to unpack my books.
What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for September 7th – 13th.
- I overdid it at the Ohio Renaissance Festival last weekend and ended up having to take a couple of days off from work. I felt so bad, I thought I had come down with the flu.
- The night before I went back to work, I realized I had less than two weeks before I move, and I’ve been on a rollercoaster of emotions and anxiety since. I’ve been moving from one place to another, several times to different countries or across the US, my entire life, but this time feels very different despite only moving across town. Maybe it’s because of why I’m moving or maybe it’s that I’m getting older and all of the major life changes and stress over the years have piled up, but this move is the hardest one I’ve ever done.
- The few vegetables in my garden that didn’t die have been plentiful. I ended up with a giant eggplant, far more bell peppers than I know what to do with, three enormous carrots, and a ton of green beans. I’ve been eating the green beans with a ham that I baked, and trying to figure out a way to put bell pepper in everything else. I’m going to cut up the carrots to put on salads, and I’m baking an eggplant lasagna sometime this week.
- Next year, I’ll mostly be doing container gardening, but I think I might have room on my patio for one or two gardening boxes that are similar to raised beds.
- Exercise Days: 0/7
- Steps: 30,613
- Miles: 12.40/16.31
- Total Miles: 556.22/850
- Zone Minutes: 12/150
Building the Book Fort
“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.
Currently Reading:
- Handbook for the Heartbroken by Sara Avant Stover
- The Death of a Beekeeper by Lars Gustafsson
- How to Be the Love You Seek by Dr. Nicole LePera
- No Time Like the Past by Jodi Taylor
- The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick
Finished:
- An Uninvited Ghost by E.J. Copperman
- The Disappearance of Emily Downs by C.J. Redwine
Total pages read this week: 434
Total books read: 79 of 85
TBR (goal is -24): -20
#ShelfLove Challenge: 44 of 51
I finished two audiobooks and started a third. My hold for How to Be the Love You Seek finally came in, so I’m going to try to finish that by the time I move. I discovered that another book I had checked out from the library, Devil’s Gun by Cat Rambo is the second book in the “Disco Space Opera” series. I’ve added the first book, You Sexy Thing, to my wishlist, but it will likely be quite a long time before I check it out. Instead, I picked up the next book on my library stack, The Poppy Fields. I only read the first chapter before I went to bed last night, but that’s only because I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer despite already being hooked.
What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!