Day Seven taking the train

Back from a great one week vacation in San Jose/Santa Cruz.  We spent three days right on beach, at a Hotel called Beach Street Inn and boy was it nice.  The kids had so much fun doing even the simple things like playing in the sand.  We did spend some time at the Board Walk letting the kids ride the ride and play the arcade games. 

I didn't get much running in, and in fact I suffered a pretty bad back injury.  I'm moving slowly and actually only walking fast for my "work-outs".  I haven't gone to the doctor and just trying to tough it out.  It really happened on 14 Jun and now it still feels as bad as the first day, but maybe it will get better in just a few more days? 

Took the train the first two days back at work, so that puts me at 7 for the year.  I didn't go for the Hash run even though it is a day off, which tells you I'm really not myself. 

Finished another book from the Amazon Vine Program.

Maybe I'm a little too critical, but this story bored me. It did keep my interest, but not my passion. Thayer does a good job of painting a nice picture and a way of making you feel for her characters, but you could easily see around each corner.

This story of loss how you deal with it seemed to feel like a soap opera. As a parent I felt for Carley as she went through the loss of her husband while taking care of her two young daughters. The story takes you on a journey of dealing with in-laws on a small island where everyone knows all your business. Thayer takes you on a journey into finding love in the shadows of a husband that recently died. All this happens under the watchful eyes of young children and how they learn to love the new man in their life.

The icing on the cake is the acceptance of the new love and the fact that the children take to the new stepfather. But wait that is not all; a close friend dies giving birth and with the loss of the main characters friend she finds out that the baby will be hers, which makes the family even more complete......oh and in the final pages of the book the new stepfather finds out that his wife is pregnant making for a big happy family; how trite.

I would recommend this book to a female reader, which I am not. I probably should have picked up a different book to start reading. I doubt Thayer was looking for the male audience.

On the Ultra front, Tony is out of the season bad injury.  How a simple run can change your life.  Western States will be very interesting next weekend.   I have Army Reserve weekend during the WS100 but I will be checking out this link during the incredible 15 hours that the leaders will be running.