Weeks 10/11 update (spring break!)

So I took a week off the updates while on Spring Break.  It was a wonderful week started out at the Outer Banks (fun!) and finished with some good, old-fashioned, hanging out at the house.  We didn’t get as much done as I would have hoped, but it was a really nice week.

            As for the goals, nothing really was overwhelming.  I am finalizing the preparations for the 40k time trial in a few weeks and we visited another donut shop.  The Rubik’s Cube seems to continue to be a puzzle.  I’ve gotten to where I can solve it, but the 400 seconds is going to require a bit of luck.  It’ll happen, but finding pairs in the second step is quite a challenge.

            In an unfortunate note, my streak of not getting plastic bags while shopping was broken.  I went to Target late on evening and, when I wasn’t paying attention, I left the store with my purchases in a bag.  Grrrr – if only I would have used self-checkout.  Oh well – I’ve since used that bag 3 other times so I guess that’s a semi-win.

            As usual, updates are as below.

Physical

            #5 – 958 miles – Planning to break through the 1,000 miles this week.  Right on pace for the year!

            #6 – 2,945.  I would be past 3,000, but I missed a few days during the break.

Mental

            #14 – Spring Break turned out to be good for reading.  I finished a John Grisham book (Rogue Lawyer) that was certainly not his best.  I also read Wrinkle in Time (I didn’t get why this was so amazing).  Finally, I read The Undoing Project.  I am excited about the work that the two subjects (Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman) delivered, but the book about their relationship, while interesting, wasn’t nearly as good as Moneyball which he also wrote.

#15 – Brains On – Just another science podcast for kids…..no there can’t be enough of these!

-        Story Pirates – Kids submit stories and they are acted out by comedic improvisors – how could you not like this one?

            #16 – 14 names remembered.  I continue to be amazed at what a little focus on this area delivers.

            #18 – I’ll need some luck here to make it under 600 seconds, but I can now confidently say that I can solve a 4x4x4 cube!

Relationship

            #21 With the spring FINALLY starting to come around, we’ve started to get out to the parks.  While at the Outer Banks, we visited Jockey’s Ridge (one amazing sand dune) and Pettigrew State Park.  Later in the week, we visited Pullen Park.  It was CROWDED but still a fun time

            #26 – 130 books with the boys.  They’ve taken an interest in longer books so this goal is getting harder by the day!

Environmental

            #27 – Being at the beach, it’s a real lesson in just how much garbage is finding its way to the ocean.  This inspired me to continue to just bend over a pick up things that might find their way to the ocean and stay there for a long time.  I didn’t weigh it, but know that we picked up at least 3 pounds on break.  This brings the total to 5.5 lbs.  Still not on pace, but we’ll get more as the year goes on.

            #30 – Currently at 4.5 lbs of meat for the year.  Well under the 40 lb/yr goal.  I still enjoy the meat, but it is truly a conscious choice when I eat it now.  I credit my wife for finding ways to include meat alternatives to make sure the proteins are still obtained

            #31 – The streak is broken.  I got plastic bags when shopping this week because I wasn’t paying attention.  At least I know they’ll be recycled.

Miscellaneous

            #38 – Stopped at Anne’s Donuts and Bakery in Rocky Mount NC.  3 stars, but almost exclusively filled donuts.  They were good though!

            #41 – The family watched the sun come up over the ocean on Easter morning (we all were up at 5:30 anyway sadly).  It was nice to just sit and watch (though I did take LOTS of pictures).