Patrick Rothfuss is a genius. Period.
I just finished reading Wise Man's Fear in an epic one week adventure of late nights and avoided social gatherings so that I could drink in the story of Kvothe the Arcane. It was worth every missed dinner, tired morning and lost hour of sleep. The author's ability to weave his stories into artful fiction are beyond reproach. Told from the point of view of Kvothe, the main character, the story is the second in a trilogy that wends it's way through the story of his life.
There's little I can say to sum up the book that hasn't been printed on it's dust jacket. The sheer epic of his adventures are impossible to diminish into a sentence or two. What I can say is that the book had me both laughing out lout and crying. The emotions and the emotional realizations of the characters are extremely hard hitting. Nothing is shied away from. Kvothe is a hero but there is no effort to shy away from the more tarnished aspects of the character which makes the reader fall in love with him even more. In fact the honesty with which he tells his own story is one of the reasons I'm so drawn along in the narrative. I can't help but become submerged in his reality. I patiently await "Doors of Stone" and the conclusion of Kvothe's tale.
Leaving with a quote from the book:
"It had flaws, but what does that matter when it comes to matters of the heart? We love what we love. Reason does not enter into it. In many ways, unwise love is the truest love. Anyone can love a thing because. That's as easy as putting a penny in your pocket. But to love something despite. To know the flaws and love them too. That is rare and pure and perfect."
Friday, January 4, 2013
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
1/12 - Ringing in the New Year Right
I'm starting the year out right with my first race of the year on the first day of the year! I ran a 5K this morning so I'm trying to keep up the great success that I had last year with my 12 races in 12 months plan. And this year my dad is doing it with me along with some other super supportive friends!
I beat last year's January time of 33:07 by more than two minutes with a finish time of 30:50. I'm hoping to bring down my 5K average of 30:15 (averaged over 10 5Ks) from last year to under 30 minutes. In other running news I'm hoping to top my mileage total and break 300 this year as I fell short coming in at 296 for the year.
Also on a bright note I'm starting the year less round. Last year I rang in at ~217 I'm starting the new year 22 pounds lighter at ~195 which is great. So I'm also hoping to continue loosing weight and finish the year strong with 20 pounds of weight loss.
Hope everyone enjoys the new year and reaches their goals.
I beat last year's January time of 33:07 by more than two minutes with a finish time of 30:50. I'm hoping to bring down my 5K average of 30:15 (averaged over 10 5Ks) from last year to under 30 minutes. In other running news I'm hoping to top my mileage total and break 300 this year as I fell short coming in at 296 for the year.
Also on a bright note I'm starting the year less round. Last year I rang in at ~217 I'm starting the new year 22 pounds lighter at ~195 which is great. So I'm also hoping to continue loosing weight and finish the year strong with 20 pounds of weight loss.
Hope everyone enjoys the new year and reaches their goals.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
12/12 - Resolution Complete!
Done and Done! I finished my resolution to complete 12 races in 12 months. It's been tough to stick to but I"m glad I finally followed through on a New Year's Resolution! A successful year all around.
12/2/12: Mitten Run 5K - 31:10
11/22/12: Turkey Trot 5K - 30:55
10/27/12: Spooktacular 5K - 28:50
9/2/12: Twilight Run 5K - 30:21
8/16/12: Rubber Chicken 5K - 31:58
7/22/12: Rock and Roll 1/2 - 2:39:29
7/4/12: 4 on the Fourth - 41:58
6/21/12: 3.9 Mile Scramble - 39:41
5/19/12: Random 5K - 29:17
4/28/12: River Run 5K - 27:35
3/31/12: 1/4 Marathon - 1.07.51
3/18/12: St. Patty's 5K - 28:27
2/11/12: Cupid 5K - 30:48
1/8/12: Memorial 5K - 33:07
Total mileage for the year to date: 295.09
Goal: Get in five more miles before the end of the year
12/2/12: Mitten Run 5K - 31:10
11/22/12: Turkey Trot 5K - 30:55
10/27/12: Spooktacular 5K - 28:50
9/2/12: Twilight Run 5K - 30:21
8/16/12: Rubber Chicken 5K - 31:58
7/22/12: Rock and Roll 1/2 - 2:39:29
7/4/12: 4 on the Fourth - 41:58
6/21/12: 3.9 Mile Scramble - 39:41
5/19/12: Random 5K - 29:17
4/28/12: River Run 5K - 27:35
3/31/12: 1/4 Marathon - 1.07.51
3/18/12: St. Patty's 5K - 28:27
2/11/12: Cupid 5K - 30:48
1/8/12: Memorial 5K - 33:07
Total mileage for the year to date: 295.09
Goal: Get in five more miles before the end of the year
Thursday, November 22, 2012
11/12 - Nearly There
With the Turkey Trot under my belt in a time of 30:55 I'm nearly there. Only one race left.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Getting Creative
One of my goals from a previous post was to sign up for a creative writing course. This is what came of it:
Tonight was the first in a six week course (actually the second as I missed the first). We had five minutes to write. The prompt was a picture of a hammock and trees with snow covering them.
Staring out the back window he longed for summer when the hammock was bathed in sun and curved under the weight of his lover as she slept dappled in a kaleidoscope of ever changing greens while the leaves overhead swayed in the warm breeze. Now only the bare branches were left. Stripped of all their life and vitality each encased in a layer of ice, covered in a peppering of snow. Only the thin veneer of bark protected the now dormant core. The hammock, once filled with the slow and steady beat of her life dipped under the weight of the heavy snow. Only his heart hung heavier at the prospect of never seeing the curve of her shoulder peaking over the upturned fabric. he knows he has to pull it down before the spring's verdant greens touch the hammock disturbing the grave of his memories.
Thoughts?
Tonight was the first in a six week course (actually the second as I missed the first). We had five minutes to write. The prompt was a picture of a hammock and trees with snow covering them.
Staring out the back window he longed for summer when the hammock was bathed in sun and curved under the weight of his lover as she slept dappled in a kaleidoscope of ever changing greens while the leaves overhead swayed in the warm breeze. Now only the bare branches were left. Stripped of all their life and vitality each encased in a layer of ice, covered in a peppering of snow. Only the thin veneer of bark protected the now dormant core. The hammock, once filled with the slow and steady beat of her life dipped under the weight of the heavy snow. Only his heart hung heavier at the prospect of never seeing the curve of her shoulder peaking over the upturned fabric. he knows he has to pull it down before the spring's verdant greens touch the hammock disturbing the grave of his memories.
Thoughts?
Saturday, October 27, 2012
10/12 - It's Not All About Preparation
Woohoo! 10th race of the year went well and I learned it's not all about preparation. I haven't laced up my running shoes since the last race I ran on September 2nd but I went out there and kicked this race's butt! I clocked in at 28:50 which is respectable for me and much better than September's race which took me more than 30 minutes to complete.
I don't think this is a case of increased fitness though. I'm pretty sure it was a case of a lot less weight to carry. I finally reached my first goal with weight loss since I started tracking it weekly. 5% of my body weight is now gone, hopefully for good. I still have nearly 35 pounds to loose to get into even the top portion of the healthy range for my height but I'm very pleased with my progress so far.
New running goal for the year, to add to the two more races I plan on finishing: break 300 miles. Early in the year I was doing well with consistency in my running but that has slacked off significantly as seen in my chart of running distances. It's easy to see that my running spirits got pretty well crushed in July after the 1/2 but I'm going to try to use my achievements in weight loss to help me hurdle the 300 mile mark for the year.
The running year in summary:
January: 40.21
February: 39.19
March: 38.26
April: 28.76
May: 42.22
June: 34.65
July: 45.80
August: 13.60
September: 3.1
October: 3.1
Total: 288.89
I don't think this is a case of increased fitness though. I'm pretty sure it was a case of a lot less weight to carry. I finally reached my first goal with weight loss since I started tracking it weekly. 5% of my body weight is now gone, hopefully for good. I still have nearly 35 pounds to loose to get into even the top portion of the healthy range for my height but I'm very pleased with my progress so far.
New running goal for the year, to add to the two more races I plan on finishing: break 300 miles. Early in the year I was doing well with consistency in my running but that has slacked off significantly as seen in my chart of running distances. It's easy to see that my running spirits got pretty well crushed in July after the 1/2 but I'm going to try to use my achievements in weight loss to help me hurdle the 300 mile mark for the year.
The running year in summary:
January: 40.21
February: 39.19
March: 38.26
April: 28.76
May: 42.22
June: 34.65
July: 45.80
August: 13.60
September: 3.1
October: 3.1
Total: 288.89
Monday, September 17, 2012
Minor Addictions and Major Changes
I have a minor addiction to books. There. I've said it. With all the newfangled technology out there, laptops, e-readers, smartphones, there's still nothing like the feel of a paperback in your hand. There's nothing that puts a smile on my face like the crack of a freshly opened spine or seeing my bookmark slowly marching forward through the pages of whatever adventure I'm reading. It's midnight, I have to be up tomorrow (today?) at 6 am and I'm pre-ordering all the books by my favorite authors.
Mass market paperback. For whatever reason the newest in printing fashion is to print in trade paperback. Which would be fine, except that I have well over 300 books on my shelf in mass market and I'm a little OCD about my books. The neat rows of titles evoke flashes of stories every time I look. The straight lines lead me through memories of characters lives. I like the neat, orderly fashion of it all. I need it. So I wait months, sometimes years to read my favorite author's newest texts because I have to have them in mass market. Tissa by Steven Brust isn't going to be released in mass market, I'm not going to buy it. James Patterson's Alex Cross books are half in mass market half in a narrower taller size. I've only read the ones that line up on my shelf.
I took a time management class. It was for work but really it was about learning to set goals and finding the time to meet them whether that is finishing what you're working on at work or changing your life. We looked at all aspects of our lives and ranked them based on those that were most important to us. We then gave each a number for how satisfied we were with that part of our lives on a scale from 1-10. My top three of importance were Personal Development (7), Family (8), Friends (7). We then set goals that were measurable with a time line.
- By December 31st 2012 I will have completed a creative writing class and will have reviewed the spring schedule for art classes. (Personal Development)
- By Thanksgiving I will have lost 10 pounds. (Physical)
- By the end of this week I will have asked the cute guy at work to go to lunch. (Family - note: family includes the acquisition of significant others)
I'm hoping to report that by the end of the week I'll have succeeded with the third one and have signed up for the first.
Mass market paperback. For whatever reason the newest in printing fashion is to print in trade paperback. Which would be fine, except that I have well over 300 books on my shelf in mass market and I'm a little OCD about my books. The neat rows of titles evoke flashes of stories every time I look. The straight lines lead me through memories of characters lives. I like the neat, orderly fashion of it all. I need it. So I wait months, sometimes years to read my favorite author's newest texts because I have to have them in mass market. Tissa by Steven Brust isn't going to be released in mass market, I'm not going to buy it. James Patterson's Alex Cross books are half in mass market half in a narrower taller size. I've only read the ones that line up on my shelf.
I took a time management class. It was for work but really it was about learning to set goals and finding the time to meet them whether that is finishing what you're working on at work or changing your life. We looked at all aspects of our lives and ranked them based on those that were most important to us. We then gave each a number for how satisfied we were with that part of our lives on a scale from 1-10. My top three of importance were Personal Development (7), Family (8), Friends (7). We then set goals that were measurable with a time line.
- By December 31st 2012 I will have completed a creative writing class and will have reviewed the spring schedule for art classes. (Personal Development)
- By Thanksgiving I will have lost 10 pounds. (Physical)
- By the end of this week I will have asked the cute guy at work to go to lunch. (Family - note: family includes the acquisition of significant others)
I'm hoping to report that by the end of the week I'll have succeeded with the third one and have signed up for the first.
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