J. H. Authors

One Woman. Three Names. Many Books.

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Tri Tri Again

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OK, so the plan is not going to work. I am just going to write what I want, when I want and try to make it regular.

So here’s the story. Last fall I ran the BAA Half Marathon. There are posts about that journey. And while it was life altering, I didn’t do it right. I didn’t take heed about the cross training (and strength training). I think I ultimately lost muscle mass. So rather than becoming fitter, I did a huge thing, then nothing.

So this year I thought it would be good to train for a triathlon. Cross training, blah blah blah. I figured I could ride a bike. And swim. And I’d learned how to run. So I joined BostonFit (a great support system), bought a bike and set forth. And I have been humbled. Supported, but humbled. I got my bike fit, and realized that I had to relearn how to ride a bike. I swam, but can’t swim far without reverting to a backstroke. And I realized I have bad form.

Ironically, I am slow at the running, but that is going well.

So the last few days (beginning of July, the tri I’ve signed up for is Aug 28) has been a regroup. I could bow out, keep on with the fitness quest. Or I could crank it up a notch. I decided to crank it up. Which meant:

  • Download THE SLOW FAT TRIATHLETE on my Kindle, and reread it. It is by Jayne Williams (who also blogs) and makes the whole process seem doable.
  • Sign up for a Master’s Class at the Y for swimming. This is a class for people who want to get better at swimming. Hopefully it will help me break through this hurdle. I start tomorrow.
  • Ride my bike to work. I got a space there, and bought a pannier for my bike. I psyched myself up this AM, and then the pannier didn’t fit right. So I transferred everything to my knapsack, then rode around the parking lot a couple of times to make sure I wouldn’t fall over. I got there, sweaty and disgusting, but I got there. Problem was, I had to ride home. Close to rush hour. I ended up walking the bike to the esplanade, cursing the whole thing. But then, the esplanade. I rode for a few miles, then over the Mass Ave bridge to home.

What did I learn? That I am stubborn. The whole bike bag thing would have derailed others. That I should wear bike shorts every time. And, in a related topic, that I have to learn to anticipate bumps and stand up. (ow)

The Plan

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So much whirring around in my brain. The perfect recipe for blogging, right?

Well yes. And no. Because the whirring is about a lot of different things. But I need structure. For potential readers. And for myself. To help frame conversations. And to help create deadlines.

So here’s the plan. I blog three times a week on the following topics:

Mondays: Mysteries. Writing and reading. And everything in between.

Wednesdays: Adult onset athleticism. For some reason, after avoiding athletic pursuits for 40 plus years with great success, I have decided to try and find my inner athlete. This summer it is Triathlon training. Which means learning how to ride a bike again, realizing that competitive swimming is not the same as floating at the beach and running. Or jogging. So on Wednesdays I will check in on how it is going.

Fridays: Theatre. Shows. The business. What’s happening, and what I think about it. Theatre is my profession. It is also the background of the mystery I am writing. It is also a passion. I love it. And think the world is a better place because of it. So Friday its about theatre. And maybe other performing arts.

I may have other posts during the week, but these three are it for now.

Sound like a plan?

The End of the Season

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Thursday marked the end of my theatre going season. Well, not really. I would like to see ASP’s Timon of Athens. And there is the Gloucester Stage Company summer season to look forward to.  But all of my subscriptions have run out for this season.

Happily, the last show I saw was Speakeasy Stage Company‘s fun The Great American Trailer Park Musical, which has been extended through June 5. Such fun.

I also saw ART‘s Johnny Baseball. I saw the third performance of a world premiere, so it was still rough. That said, the ART is doing a great job at creating a baseball feel around the show (Scott Sinclair has a great blog post about this), and I plan to go  back in June and see what changes are made.

I will say it it best that the season is over. There was a woman texting at Johnny Baseball, and had a been on an aisle I would have persuaded her to stop. Likely by ripping the phone from her hand and stomping on it.

Will catch up with my thoughts on the season later, but suffice it to say, it was a good one.

Making the move

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OK, I’ve made the move (though not officially) to wordpress. Warning to my geek friends, you may be on call. Just saying…

The Road to Hell

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OK, I started off with a bang, and it has been a week. Maybe I need to work up to every day…plus I renamed the blog (again). Turning Over Rocks. A little less pretentious. Also about looking into things a little more. Thinking. I know, a radical idea.

Current thoughts–TV. I know that's not the great art pursuit. And for a brief moment I thought I didn't watch that much. I was wrong. Last Sunday night I caught up with my DVR'd 24 episodes. Made the decision to go for it. Now, I have watched at least part of every season. Sometimes, often, it makes me tired and I stop for a bit, and then catch up the last few episodes. This season is promising,though I am a little wary. Renee and blond chick (with the bad ex and fake name, hello stupid story line) may get on my nerves. We'll see.

I also am back on the LOST bandwagon. Feel like I need to debrief after every episode. Will write more about it (how can I not) but the thing that both these shows have in common is story arcs. Huge story arcs. 24 sometimes loses it, and feel like it is plotted by a pantser (by the seat of their pants), or a bunch of them who are willing to go where the story takes them.

LOST feels like it is outlined. I feel like they have been planning parts of the story forever. Which scares me. I have high hopes for these next few weeks, and the way they tell the story. And I really hope they pull it off. REALLY hope.

We'll see.