Jenny's Journal: August 2013

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Friday Night Lights: RHS vs Irving MacArthur

FOOTBALL IS BACK! I don't think I've ever anticipated the start of a season so much. I am pumped that football season is here! I know it means that Coach is now working long hours and not at home as much, but FOOTBALL IS HERE!! Can you tell I'm excited?!

Richardson had their first game of the season last night against Irving MacArthur and kicked it off with an exciting game resulting in a win! The Eagles didn't look very good in the first half and trailed 14-0 at the half, but thankfully the kids didn't give up and came back to fight hard in the second half. There was some back and forth in the second half of being up, then down, but the Eagles scored the winning touchdown on a 35 yard pass to make the score 21-20 (the final score) with 15.9 seconds left in the game. It was crazy! With an exciting win like this to start the season, I'm eager to see what this season holds. Hopefully we have a excellent season this year! We're certainly off for to a great start!

Season Record: 1-0

Next week: RHS vs Frisco Wakeland

Book #8 - Honeymoon for One

Last week, I finished book #8 of the year, Honeymoon for One, by Chris Keniston. This was a free book I got off of Amazon for my Kindle. It was a good little read that only took me a few days to get through. Here's the synopsis from Amazon:

To escape local gossip, jilted bride Michelle Bradford embarks on her honeymoon cruise —alone. Coaxed by a thrill seeking hunk she never expects to see again, she slowly sheds her good girl persona to have some well deserved fun.

But unlike Vegas, what happens on the high seas doesn't always stay there.

I liked this book. It was a very easy read and, of course, predictable, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. The characters are very likeable and you definitely find yourself rooting for them. It's a fun read when you just need a quick, easy read to enjoy.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Book #7 - The Non-Runner's Marathon Guide for Women

This weekend, I finished book #7 for the year, The Non-Runner's Marathon Guide for Women by Dawn Dais. This book annoyed me. It was nice to read about running and training from a non-elite runner who struggles for motivation and isn't the fastest person around, but she complains entirely too much.

Dawn Dais hated running. And it didn't like her much, either. Her fitness routine consisted of avoiding the stairs in her own house, because who really has the energy to climb stairs? It was with this exercise philosophy firmly in place that she set off to complete a marathon.

The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women is a fun training manual for women who don't believe that running is their biological destiny but who dream of crossing the finish line nonetheless. It opens with a realistic training schedule and is chock-full of how-to's, quizzes, and funny observations, which Dais felt were lacking in the guides she had consulted.

Dais's book integrates entries from her journal, sharing everything would-be marathoners need to know about the gear, the blisters, the early morning workouts, the late-night carb binges, and—most important of all—the amazing rewards.

Anyone can do a marathon. This book just makes the experience a little more bearable and a lot more fun.

There were parts of the book that were entertaining and made you laugh and plenty to relate to (I mean, who wants to get up super early on a Saturday to go run?), but she complained entirely too much throughout the book. You don't really learn much about marathon training that you can't read somewhere else online, but it is nice to know that not everyone is out there running 7 minute miles and "normal" people can run marathons too. Overall, if you read this book, don't go in expecting much. You'll be entertained some, but probably mostly annoyed if tons of complaining annoys you like it does me.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Viva Las Vegas!

At the beginning of July, Josh and I went to Las Vegas for a few days. It was the first time there for both of us and we had a great time. We arrived late on a Friday night and it was definitely cool seeing the lights of Vegas as you're landing. I would have taken a picture, but there's some rule about having all electronics off when you're landing.

Bright and early on Saturday morning, we played golf at Desert Pines Golf Club. It was a beautiful course. Josh played really well and I, well, I'm still a beginner. :) We had fun though and even had a little rain shower to help keep us cool.

Why yes, we did tee off at 5:52 am.

Crazy, hard bunkers

Josh didn't actually hit into the bunker. He just wanted to see if he could hit out of it.

Josh won his first gamble! He made a putt to double his money!

Other than golf, we also saw a show, Zarkana by Cirque du Soleil. This was the first Cirque du Soleil show I've seen and it was great! We had awesome front row center seats, so we had some fun interaction with the cast before the show.

We also went by the Pawn Stars store in downtown Las Vegas. It's a small pawn shop, but it was fun to see the where the show is filmed and the deals are made.

We also threw a little history and learning into our vacation with a trip to the Hoover Dam. It was HUGE! We took a tour down into the dam and we learned about how it was built and how it works to generate tons of electricity. It was an interesting tour and a good little side trip.

Terrazo tile floors that are throughout the dam.

Looking from Nevada to Arizona

Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial bridge

Lots of electricity being generated

The rest of the time we were in Las Vegas, we spent exploring all of the hotels and casinos on the strip. We walked so much in the few days we were there. Those hotels are much bigger and farther apart than they appear!