Building a Bucket List #92-98

92. See the Tokyo Tower
93. Visit the Wrangell St. Elias National Park
94. See the San Antonio Missions
95. Learn how to surf
96. See Christ the Redeemer in Rio De Janerio
97. Visit the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
98. Visit the Palenque ruins

Building a Bucket List #85-91

85. Visit Times Square
86. See Sitka National Historic Park
87. Visit Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park
88. Learn how to make lace
89. See the Arcopolis in Greece
90. Visit the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument
91. See the Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point

Building a Bucket List #78-84

78. Visit Lake Clark National Park
79. See the Burg Al Arab Hotel
80. Tour Independence Hall
81. Learn how to refinish wood furniture
82. See the Pyramids of Giza
83. Visit the Noatak National Preserve
84. See the Taos Peublo

Reading List and Mini Reviews November 10

I've been doing a fair amount of reading lately so here's whats been added to the Books Read List since my last update.

Assault or Attrition by Blake Northcott

This is the second book of this trilogy. I thought that it was a good second book: it kept the feel of the first book while allowing the characters to grow and change. It was a really enjoyable read.

Final Empire by Blake Northcott

The finale of the Area Mode Saga. This book did a good job of wrapping up the trilogy but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the first two books.  Matthew, the main character, got steadily less likable and harder to relate to while other favorite characters got pushed away and out of the spotlight. Still a fun read but not as good as the first two.

The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox

This was a fun light read.  It's quite the adventure with a biker gang of witches, a talking dog and a shape-changing griffin.  The pacing was a little strange at times but the laugh out loud moments did a good job of making up for it. 

The Housewife Assassin's Deadly Dossier by Josie Brown

So, I accidentally read this prequel to the series before any of the actual series. I thought that it was a fun read and I definitely grabbed the first book of the series when I was done but I suspect that I would have gotten more more out it if I'd read any of the series first. Either way, it is a fun spy romp and origin story for a unique character.

The Housewife Assassin's Handbook by Josie Brown

The is the first book in the Housewife Assassin Series. I really enjoyed reading this book.  The main character Donna is an intriguing mix of housewife and assassin. The contrast of her two roles and their demands on her time is fascinating and entertaining. I definitely recommend this book and I plan to find the time to read the next book in the series sometime soon.

All Fall Down by Erica Spindler

This murder mystery with a hint of romance was an enjoyable read. There were plenty of twists and turns that left me guessing until the very end. The mystery may have been a bit overly convoluted but it definitely made for a good story. It was also an interesting exploration of the ethical issues surrounding vigilantism as they affect police work.

Manners and Mutiny by Gail Carriger

I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this book and I must say that it was totally worth the wait. Manners and Mutiny is the last of a four book series and it does a nice job of wrapping up the plot lines and character arcs featured in the series.  It was a fun romp through an enemy-occupied airship with an insane vampire and an odd array of weapons. It was fun to see more of Madame Geraldine in action, and I just love who Sophronia ends up working with.  In other words, I absolutely adored this book and I'm sad that the series has come to an end. I may end up re-reading the Parasol Protectorate Books to see if I can spot any more of the girls from the Finishing School Series.

Weekly Weigh In November 9

Looking at the statistics for this week, I clearly didn't carry my phone/pedometer around but I still managed to increase both the number of steps for the week and the average number of steps per day.

This week I'm working on the consistency in my workouts. My goal is to do the morning workout every morning this week and go for a dog walk every night. For the morning workout I've increasing the weight that I'm using and pushing myself to do more challenging versions of the exercises. In the evenings I'm working up to starting Couch to 5K again. This week I'm just getting out the door with the dog for a walk each night. I don't expect to do any lunchtime workouts this week because I'm focusing on study for an exam in Anatomy and Physiology.

Statistics:

Morning Workouts: 2
Lunchtime Weight Lifting: 0
Evening Dog Walks: 2
Bedtime Yoga: 0
Step Counting:
     Monday: 10894
     Tuesday: 11258
     Wednesday: 7580
     Thursday: 9335
     Friday: 14071
     Saturday: 6363
     Sunday: 319

     Weekly Average: 8545
     Last Week Average: 8428

     Weekly Total: 59820
     Last Week Total: 58996

     November Average: 8167
     November Total: 65337

Current Weight: 245.4 pounds
Last Week: 244.6 pounds

Weight Loss/Gain: 0.8 pounds gained

Starting Weight: 249.4 pounds
Highest Point: 250.2 pounds
Lowest Point: 238.4 pounds

Writing Update November 6

I went a little crazy and decided that I wanted to do NaNoWriMo again this year at the last moment. I've switched stories a couple of time now. I started out trying to put some work into Shattered Live but that is definitely a project that needs some serious outlining. Instead I'm playing with something way less serious that will give me the opportunity to play around and add some silly twists in the story.  I'm a little concerned that I won't be able to give NaNoWriMo the time it needs and do all the studying I need to do for my classwork, so we'll see how it goes.

Statistics:
Words Written: 4175
Scenes Outlined: 0
Times I've switched Stories: 3

Works In Progress

Untitled (NaNoWriMo 2015)- Writing First Draft

4175 / 50000

Hive Mind (NaNoWriMo 2010) - Editing and Writing Second Draft

55308 / 90000

Thriller - Brainstorming and Outlining

0 / 50000

Outbreak (NaNoWriMo 2011) - Resting

54270 / 90000

Steampunk Seasonal Serial - Writing First Draft

15809 / 50000

A Guide to Inter-species Dating - Writing Rough Draft

1751 / 50000

Shattered Lives - Brainstorming and Outlining

181 / 50000

Greased Gears - Writing First Draft

9326 / 50000

Building a Bucket List #71-77

71. Visit Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park
72. Visit Kobuk Valley National Park
73. See the London Eye
74. See the Sagrada Familia in Spain
75. Watch every episode in the Star Trek Universe
76. See the Hollywood sign
77. Visit Kobuk Valley National Park

Weekly Weigh In November 2

I'm playing with different statistics to track that better match my goals than just tracking weight. I've decided to do NaNoWriMo this year so we'll see how that affect my ability to focus on healthier choices. It'll be interesting balancing NaNoWriMo writing and the lunchtime workouts.

Statistics:

Morning Workouts: 1
Lunchtime Weight Lifting: 0
Evening Dog Walks: 2
Bedtime Yoga: 0
Step Counting:
     Monday: 10109
     Tuesday: 10543
     Wednesday: 9404
     Thursday: 10835
     Friday: 10056
     Saturday: 2514
     Sunday: 5517

     Weekly Average: 8428
     Weekly Total: 58996

     November Average: 5517
     November Total: 5517

Current Weight: 244.6 pounds
Last Week: 249.2 pounds

Weight Loss/Gain: 4.6 pounds lost

Starting Weight: 249.4 pounds
Highest Point: 250.2 pounds
Lowest Point: 238.4 pounds