1. Running. I've been reading more about running lately, and as best as I can tell, I'm doing it all wrong. I run all the wrong speeds - apparently I should be doing some things at 6:xx/mile and other things at 8:xx/mile, but basically nothing in between. But I run nearly everything in between. I also apparently don't run nearly enough to put up the race times that I have. (And remember, even the running I'm doing is apparently wrong.) So, either I'm a super athlete, or all the things about running aren't all that important.
2. How anyone can like Trump.
3. Sleep schedules. I swear I'm not doing anything differently, but for the last 2 weeks, I'm significantly more sleepy. Growth spurt?
4. Hunger levels. Every day this week I've gotten up and run the same 5 miles, had the same cereal for breakfast, sat in the same chair at work for nearly the entire day, and had the same lunch. And today I am starving. I don't get it. Some days I'm fine, others I'm like a bottomless pit. And trust me, my eating habits are remarkably consistent, particularly on breakfast and lunch.
5. Really? Trump?
6. The memes on facebook where people complain about how they wish their public education had taught them how to balance a check book and do their taxes instead of the quadratic formula. I have several issues with this. First, I do algebra all the time, and you should, too. I personally, haven't used trigonometry for like 4 hours. Second, I did learn how to balance a check book - in 6th grade. And can you really not balance a check book? You start with your account balance, and then add and subtract numbers as you as you add and remove money from your account. How long a lesson about this do you need? Also, do you write checks? Third, let's analyze what it takes to do you taxes. When I first started doing my taxes it involved going to the post office or library or somewhere and getting a form and an instruction booklet, wherein there were detailed step by step instructions for what to write in literally every single box on the form, and how to perform simple math. Did your public education not prepare you for mindlessly following instructions and writing numbers in little boxes? As life gets more complicated the forms get a bit more cumbersome, granted, but these days you have nice computer programs that ask you straight forward questions and do it all for you. Basically, if your taxes are really that hard, it's pretty likely you're way too rich for me to feel pity for you.
7. State tax forms, though. Those suck.
Monday, May 9
Thursday, May 5
Starved Rock
While Grammie and Opa were in town, we all went down to Starved Rock, which is a state park about an hour and a half away. As far as I know this is the most topography that the northern half of the state has to offer. (I've recently learned that there are a few arches in southern Illinois!)
The name sake of the park is a butte that sits right on the Illinois river that is about 200 feet tall and covers about a half acre on the top. It's clearly a nice viewpoint for the area, particularly up and down the river. The story behind it's name is that a group of Illinois Indians were trapped up there by some Fox and Potawatomi Indians who were angry about a chief being killed. The sides of the butte are very steep, and it would be easy to defend from anyone trying to get you, but . . . you're also trapped. So, the story goes that the indians starved up there and the rock got its name. I have no clue if that story is true or not, but there you go.
The state park has 13 miles of trails and stairs that cut across a number of steep little canyons that have some fun waterfalls. We didn't get to see a huge part of the park, but it was still a fun little day trip. Next time we'll have to go back when we can stay longer (and I don't have to work an over night shift that night).
The girls at "Wildcat Canyon". Trees make it hard to take pictures of anything large.
This is inside Wildcat Canyon, with the girls as a scale bar.
A closeup of the waterfall from the previous picture. I'm not much of a photographer.
The name sake of the park is a butte that sits right on the Illinois river that is about 200 feet tall and covers about a half acre on the top. It's clearly a nice viewpoint for the area, particularly up and down the river. The story behind it's name is that a group of Illinois Indians were trapped up there by some Fox and Potawatomi Indians who were angry about a chief being killed. The sides of the butte are very steep, and it would be easy to defend from anyone trying to get you, but . . . you're also trapped. So, the story goes that the indians starved up there and the rock got its name. I have no clue if that story is true or not, but there you go.
The state park has 13 miles of trails and stairs that cut across a number of steep little canyons that have some fun waterfalls. We didn't get to see a huge part of the park, but it was still a fun little day trip. Next time we'll have to go back when we can stay longer (and I don't have to work an over night shift that night).
The girls at "Wildcat Canyon". Trees make it hard to take pictures of anything large. 
This is inside Wildcat Canyon, with the girls as a scale bar. 
A closeup of the waterfall from the previous picture. I'm not much of a photographer.Wednesday, May 4
Ella, the forgotten child
Based on the perpetual power struggle at my house, it is apparently tough to be second child. Since your parents have exhausted their supply of love and attention on the perfect first child, no one really cares about you, so you have to kick, scream and bite in order to get anything in life.
Here on my blog, for instance, Julia has 36 posts, and Ella is tagged in only 8. Even as a fetus Julia had 23, and Ella only 14. So, in an effort to even the odds, here's some pictures of Ella. (Also, because she's the one who will demand that I photograph her doing all sorts of things.)
First off, a shot of Ella's fashion sense. We're pretty conservative parents, but I've always given the girls as much leeway as possible on dressing themselves. Ella, as you can see, likes to match stripes with polka dots and as many colors as possible. She also wears a skirt or dress every single day and a suggestion that she wear pants because we're going hiking is met with immediate moaning and wailing.
Ella also likes to fill her spare time with important experiments like: What would dad look like as a blonde?
Spring time side walk chalk. I thought her flower and bee were pretty good.
This picture is a few months old, but I keep it on my phone because I think it's cute. That is all.
Here on my blog, for instance, Julia has 36 posts, and Ella is tagged in only 8. Even as a fetus Julia had 23, and Ella only 14. So, in an effort to even the odds, here's some pictures of Ella. (Also, because she's the one who will demand that I photograph her doing all sorts of things.)
First off, a shot of Ella's fashion sense. We're pretty conservative parents, but I've always given the girls as much leeway as possible on dressing themselves. Ella, as you can see, likes to match stripes with polka dots and as many colors as possible. She also wears a skirt or dress every single day and a suggestion that she wear pants because we're going hiking is met with immediate moaning and wailing.
Ella also likes to fill her spare time with important experiments like: What would dad look like as a blonde?
Spring time side walk chalk. I thought her flower and bee were pretty good.
This picture is a few months old, but I keep it on my phone because I think it's cute. That is all.
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