Well I did finish the Marathon.. and Cozy Mystery Review #NetGalley #MurderAtTheLobstahShack

My poor toes have let me know, in no uncertain terms, that they think I should switch to running half-marathons.  I have to agree with them.  Oh my goodness what a long day! I am glad I can say I finished, that's about all I can say. I looked like I was auditioning for a part as a zombie in the Walking Dead for about the last five miles! 

Here I am before the race started as we stood around waiting to move up to the starting line. I don't know how accurate my FitBit is, but it said I had over 69,000 steps. I was so done at the end of the race, I didn't take advantage of the Mimosa Bar! 

My poor big toes are super sore, I'm not ready for regular shoes, but we have a  wedding to go to on Saturday so hopefully by Saturday I can wear a pair of flats with my dress! 

Now on to a Cozy Mystery book review!

If I had to describe this cozy mystery in one word, the word would be solid.  Solid setting, solid cast, solid plot. They sure do eat a lot of seafood in Westham, MA, but that does make sense since this town is part of Cape Cod.

Mac is a likable and savvy sleuth, she runs a bicycle shop and seems to find dead bodies on the side. The relationship between Mac and law enforcement is more plausible than many other books.  Mac gives the sheriff tips and gossip and he doesn't tell her much about the case. Now, one might think well if I was up to no good in Westham, MA I would definitely steer clear of this Mac person--but that's a problem for another book. 

The book deals with social issues that plague small and large towns alike, including mental illness, addiction, and people who are without housing. Maddie Day does an excellent job talking about these issues and humanizing the characters involved. 

4 solid stars for Murder at the Lobstah Shack by Maddie Day!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review! #MurderattheLobstahShack #NetGalley

#TheSundayPost TBH, I've think I've had enough humidity for one year.

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

On the whole, this was a good week, I read two books and I was able to get my runs in on schedule.  I even got my new running shoes (on clearance!) My footwear for the marathon is decided!

 I also wrote an outline for the youtube meal prep I'm doing on Wednesday night. Today I realized that I need to have gloves so I can keep my hands clean while prepping or the video is going to have too many times where I stop to wash my hands.  

 So I have a pack of gloves I can use. I also decided that I'm going to have one of the meals finished so I can do the prep and then, a moment later, reveal the finished dish! 

This weekend I'm writing a review that will be the highlighted review for Anne's Read-along over at Books Are My Heart   

Next week I'll also be posting a review of a #NetGalley ARC for a cozy series I love! The Haunted Library Mystery series is so fun! 

How was your week?  Did you do anything fun?  Read any good books lately? 

#TheSundayPost Boy Are My Dogs Tired!

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

I thought I was prepared to run a 10-mile long run this week for marathon training, and boy was it hard! The last two miles were rough!  Thankfully next week is a cut-back week and I only have to run 7 miles next Saturdays. I tell you it is the cut-back weeks that give one the strength to continue on with the training.

This week was a busy week, but it was a good week. On the personal front, I had a visit with my oncologist and after a discussion with her, she put in an order for me to take a drug that has been shown in clinical trials to reduce the rate of cancer recurrence for people with BRCA1/2 mutations. This drug has been approved for some kinds of advanced cancer patients, but now the American Society of Clinical Oncologists has recommended this drug for 1 year for early stage people like me that have a high rate of recurrence.  It's considered a chemo drug.

 I was surprised and happy that my insurance is covering it. It's a serious drug and I am hoping that based on my overall health that I will be able to take it w/low side effects. The whole point of doing this is it's an added level of protection. I am planning to track my experience with the drug--since it's just now being used for people like me. I plan to blog about it on Thursdays. 

*******

Book talk!  There are just a few more weeks left of the summer reading program at my library! I need to keep earning points so I can win a gift card! What I'll be reading this week:

How are you doing How was your week?  Watch anything good? Read anything good? 

Who's Almost Hit Their Fundraising Goal? This Girl!

Tomorrow I am participating in the Imerman Angels Brunch Run - Virtual 5K!  This is a real bummer because I was looking forward to participating in this in person- Bruch Food! Mimosas! Supporting a great organization!  And I would have met my Angel Mentor Margot IRL!   super sad face emoji. 

However as anyone who has ever had a cancer diagnosis knows, sometimes you just have to roll with the changes.   I've run fewer miles this week and plan to have nice fresh legs for my run tomorrow so I can give the virtual race my all.  I'll be posting on my Instagram account @Victoria7401 if you want to see how it goes.  

Thanks to everyone who has donated to my fundraising! Because of all of you, I am only $90!  Away from my goal!  Please pat yourself on the back if you have already given and have a mimosa on me tomorrow! If you can please share my fundraising on your social media- every share helps!  Link to my page!

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Clear Blue Skies All Day Today 

Today is a Weird Day

Hello! Happy May.  I really enjoy the month of May, it's one of my top 3 favorite months. :-) However, last year the universe decided to play a little trick on me and now this time of year is not just the glorious May flower fest and sunny days of old. 

Yes, you guessed it, on this day, May 6th,  last year  I got one of the crummiest phone calls a person can get- ie your biopsy results have come back and you have cancer. Not what anyone wants to hear, ever.  Another reason I'm glad to have an Imerman Angel (Margot) who I can contact anytime to talk is on a not great anniversary day like today.   Everyone who gets a crummy cancer diagnosis should have someone in their corner they can talk to who gets it--especially now!

May 6, 2019, what a crap day, but I can imagine how much more anxiety-producing it would be if I was being diagnosed now during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are able to donate any $ toward my marathon run this month you are helping those people out there right now who just found out they have cancer. 

Here is the good news for today!  During May a big foundation is double matching all the funds us runners raise.  So if you are able to donate $20 to me this month,  you are actually making a $60 donation to Imerman Angels. How cool is that!

The sun is shining today and the cancer that I had with me last year is gone.  I get to go for a nice run today, How wonderful to have that going for me!  During the stay at home order I have been out there running, my only issue right now is a persistent blister on my toe that is healing- but also annoying.  

Each day I run because I can. Thank you for giving what you can to help raise money for Imerman Angels!

If you are on Instagram, I post a run picture each day- @Victoria7401

Here is my link if you would like to know more about Imerman Angels or donate to my run! 

The End Is Near!

I enjoy that the phrase 'the end is near' can be positive or negative. For the purposes of today,
 it's a good thing.

The end of me driving through the gauntlet to go to radiation will be over a week from tomorrow. What is the gauntlet?  Its afternoon traffic on 95th Street where people don't use turn signals, think switching lanes in the middle of an intersection is cool, and too many people aren't paying attention when the light has changed and I am behind them.

Every day I see a few almost-accidents.  I thought I was done with my mini-rant, but before I leave the subject. Every single trip I have to stop for emergency vehicles, this isn't the rant yet, every day there are emergency vehicles going up and down 95th street--because there are two hospitals in a 2-mile stretch. And every day there are foolish drivers that turn in front of ambulances/police or fire trucks. I mean come on people! 

Okay, I'm done now, back to the good stuff. The end is near for January! It's been a long, long month. Yesterday I got my Valentine's Day leggings from Aldi and as you can see, I'm ready for February! Personally, I'm not a fan of February either, but I'm making an effort this year to appreciate the shortest month of the year. If you love February, please let me know your secret. Maybe it is copious amounts of chocolate?  I could give that a try... 

A couple of things about this picture. 1. #nofilter 2. #nomakeup and 3. my hair was still wet from a shower so you can't see the wavy curl of it. I supposed I could take another picture but #idontfeellikeit.

The end of our streak of cloudy days is near, hopefully, Sunday will be as advertised on my app: Sunny and 51 degrees. That is a Super Sunday! If it is that nice, I'm visualizing myself going on a nice long 7-mile run. #Goals!