Seriously…let’s back this up just a bit because the year is going by way too fast. How is it almost JUNE!?
What. The. Fuck.
On the upside, I am alive. Mostly. In the breathing way that matters.
I finished my first of three big races this year and then promptly got incredibly sick, as one does after accomplishing a large goal. Why not celebrate praying for death laying flat on your back without even the ability to play video games for solace. *cue violins* It was tragic, painful and fucking awful. But hey it’s done and back to training.
Actually being sick was 100x worse than the race. My ironman coming up is not really scary anymore when I consider I went through -days- of pain. Days. Now we’re talking 13 hrs? Easy! Bring it on Louisville. I got this. (she says 4 months out from the race…oh the idiocy)
Because why not choose the 4th hardest. WHY NOT!
It’s been amusing to check out the latest clusterfucks about the inter webs, because those never end. Cheerio to the fun drama because I can’t seem to care about any of it. Wait a few months no one will remember.
Anyway! I have been reading. Not as much as I’d like sadly but still any is better than none. If I can get it in audiobook it usually gets read pretty quickly. So I’m happily not as behind as I usually am. I actually have read some of the books people are talking about.
Impressive, I know. You’re astonished.
Anyone have any recommendations on the must read books of the year so far? Since most of my sources have stopped blogging (why you people, why!) – I’m drawing blanks on who to turn to.
Help me! Please?
Oh and time –
three am 
Yikes! Glad you survived the horrible sickness – sounds, well, horrible. Although the Ironman sounds that way to me, too, so…. 😉
Erm, I have no book recommendations for you. I’m reading hockey fics (still! amazing!), plus nonfiction books about art journals/watercolors/drawing and women discovering they’re autistic in their 30s and 40s.
Non-fictions?! People still read that? Jk. I was on a huge non-fiction kick last year with biographies and I think I read every single biography ever written, or seemed that way at the time.
Hope you’re doing well!
I’m still around, just mostly on GRs these days. Er, drawing a blank on books. I’ve spent much of this year rereading books or reading books published ages ago, such as the Stockholm Syndrome trilogy. I recently listened to Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold. Not sure whether you like SF but I enjoyed it. Only recently got into audiobooks because I’ve discovered that they are ideal to listen to whilst crocheting – my new hobby :).
Glad you are feeling better after your illness. I’m very impressed with your triathlon achievements.
Thanks for the recommendations! I love SF so that’ll hit the spot. I also LOVE audiobooks and find it much easier to “read” that way, at least for me.
I miss your blog so much. Its somewhat sad when I peer around and almost no one is blogging anymore. I’ll have to stalk your GR account. You should post some crocheting pictures though! That’s a hard talent to master and impressive!
Time does zoom by. I can’t believe I’m coming up on a year here. Busy with work and I’m in the process of moving houses right now… like literally as I type, except I have to chair a meeting tonight so I’m at work and stressing over boxes all over my house, no sheets on the bed, can’t get to the fridge for stuff. Sigh. Enough of that.
The last book I read which still left an impression is Gabriel’s City by Layla Hunter (I think) from … Riptide or Wilde City. One of them. It’s certainly not traditional fantasy heroes, more YA but more violent and rather psychopathic, in a sweet way. LOL Go figure. I still think about it over a month later.
I also just read Death by Dragon by Madeleine Ribbon from Loose Id. While I’m sure the story itself is full of flaws, there are dragons, witches, vampires, shifters, intrigue, etc. and Fell is just so delightfully smart-mouthed and snarky I loved him. However for those who like your characters to meet and be faithful (even before getting together) this is not for you, as fell has a relationship with Jett’s foster-brother after they meet before they finally hook up. I know some people find that not so welcome in their romance. Still, I was very annoyed that I was at an event last night and couldn’t finish it before I left. That’s a good sign for me. Pure entertainment.
Good luck in the race. Yer nutz. 🙂
I honestly can’t believe you’ve been there for a year! How’s it going? You’re alive so all must be well. What an amazing adventure you must be having. Is it incredibly foreign? I have so many questions. Good luck with your move though because that’s stressful no matter what but in another country it must be even worse.
I do love my YA hero psychopathic so I’ll have to check that out. Plus the Death by Dragon one. I’m loose with my heroes. I don’t really care what they get up to as long as it’s something interesting. Cheat all you want, just make it count. Thank you so much for the rec’s!! I’m drying up on good books. I feel like I’ve either read everything I wanted or can’t seem to find the good ones. Probably because I don’t stalk the internet blogs much anymore.
Glad you’re doing well and good luck with the move! I hope you post again soon! (though I wonder if my feed didn’t transfer to your new url – hmm)
It’s very Western here and easy to live, even as a single woman. All of the shops are the same as in Europe and North America. Krispy Kreme Donuts, Geant supermarket, Old Navy, Marks & Spencer, Cheesecake Factory, etc. etc.
I get a lot of leeway being a Westerner, and I just go about my business. I remember when a colleague was here about 10 years ago he said you couldn’t even so out to dinner with a woman alone for business, but hell, I go out for dinner with guys (alone and in groups) all the time. Friends, business contacts, whatever. I drive, I travel out of the country, the works.
The move wasn’t too bad. I did feel bad for the guys who had to carry furniture up two flights of stairs. Those Iranian men were crazy work-horses. I was told before they got to my place they had unloaded a 40 ft container, then had another job after mine and it was 45C. The apartment is brand new so that is nice. Everything is sparkling and I’m the first person to live there. You could eat off the floor of the indoor garage it’s so clean. A few kinks with a new place, took some time to get the dishwasher working and I got stuck in the elevator one morning. LOL But I like the landlord (who is my direct neighbor) and I’m getting two American families downstairs and there is a German on the main floor. Kuwait is a very multi-cultural country (reminds me more of Canada but with some differences). There are a 1.3 million Kuwaitis and about 3 million of everyone else. Lots of South Asians, Philippinos, Egyptians, all other Arab countries, Brits, Americans, Canadians, you name it, they’re here.
I am noticing the heat can be a bit tough. It hasn’t hit 50C here but we kind of went from very warm to boiling hot overnight. No chance to adjust. But it truly is a dry heat here. Humidity is around 5% here and it’s close to 70% in Oman. That’s like walking through soup. The blowing sand is kind of gross, supposed to be a sandy weekend and we’ve had a few small sand storms where they’ve had to shut down the ports due to poor visibility, but barring certain people I work with *coughmybosscough*, I really like it here. If you want to try it out, you are always welcome. I have plenty of space in the new place, but I recommend coming between early November to early April if you actually want to spend any time outside and not reside solely in malls. 🙂
Oh I will say it’s kind of hilarious when I meet military guys for the first time. It’s like the worst of limp fish handshakes ever. They are not used to interacting with women on and equal basis so you can kind of see the confusion and fear in their eyes as you hold out your hand. (North American habit) One time I was the only woman in a room of about 40 guys and I actually asked the Cdn Defence Attache if the guy gave him a limp fish handshake (I thought maybe he was just “one of those guys”) and he said it was normal, so I knew it was me. 🙂 I don’t get offended by such things, I just find it rather amusing. I figure I’m broadening their horizons. It helps that my predecessor was a woman, so lots of my contacts are used to dealing with a female in this role.