Oh. my. goodness! I had to share this hilarious podcast. It is this week’s Modern Love podcast, “Revenge of the Friend”. Kristen Chenoweth reads the essay and it is laugh out loud funny. It is a story of revenge that a spin instructor seeks for her dear friend! Spin bikes, a well crafted play list, an ex-husband, and the other woman.
Listen and tell me what you think!
Graphic by Brian Rea via the New York Times
Last month I ran the Lululemon SeaWheeze 1/2 Marathon in Vancouver BC. My goal was finish under 2:00 hours. Before I left, I built a play list. I had one criteria when adding a song. Did it make me want to keep running? The playlist had to be the best ever! Mission accomplished.
My sister-in-law told me I made her smile several times when she saw me snapping my fingers and grooving when a good song came on. The songs that played through my ear buds that morning not only helped me put one foot in front of the other {over and over}, but they made smile.
Here it is:
Blurred Lines//Robin Thicke
I Will Wait//Mumford and Sons
Dog Days Are Over//Florence and the Machine
Happy//Pharrell Williams
Wake Me Up//Avicii
Thunderstruck//AC/DC
The Edge of Glory//Lady Gaga
RadioActive//Imagine Dragons
TiK ToK//Ke$sha
All About That Bass//Megan Trainor
Gives You Hell//All-American Rejects
Turn Down for What//DJ Snake
I Gotta Feeling//Black Eyed Peas
Fighter//Christina Aguilera
Pour Some Sugar on Me//Def Leopard
Ready to Run//Dixie Chicks
Rather Be//Clean Bandit, Jess Glynne
A Little Less Conversation//Elvis Presley JXL Remix
Cruise-Remix//Florida Georgia Line w/Nelly
Fancy//Iggy Azalea
Dance Again//Jennifer Lopez
Somebody Told Me//The Killers
American Woman//Lenny Krazitz
Knock You Down//Keri Hilson
S&M//Rhianna
Hello//Martin Solveig
Love Runs Out//OneRepublic
Also, find the #justkeeprunning playlist on Spotify. I have not shared a playlist from Spotify before, so please let me know if there is any trouble following the link. xo
The end of August and the first weeks of September bring county fairs! I have found memories going to the fair as a kid. The rides and games, the “carnies”, animals, cowboys and the food! In recent years, I have taken my boys to a small county fair in Eastern Washington over Labor Day and they love all the same things. We always go over budget and eat way too much. Somehow there is always room for an elephant ear! {My love of anything with cinnamon sugar is not a secret.}
[Shirt and cut-offs from H&M, The Grand Wheel via Etsy, and a Ferris Wheel wallpaper]
A county fair is a country girl’s runway. It is a treat to see the western wear in full effect. I am certainly not a country girl-but it sure is fun to play along. I also have a growing obsession with ferris wheels and photography. The vibrant colors of the cars, the sky, and clouds. I need to take my camera along this year.
I will have this song on repeat as we drive to the fair:
What is your #1 favorite thing about a fair?
I am still working on re-entry after being, literally, in the middle of nowhere. I surprisingly had no problem turning off my phone and completely disconnecting. It was great for all four of us! I am excited to share highlights of our trip and the lessons that the river taught me.
As I ease back into the digital world, I must admit that Pandora may have saved our sanity on the long road miles between here and Riggins, ID.
I will sing the praises of my digital provider. Somehow even on an extended network, I could stream the #1 road trip playlist. Pandora: Johnny Cash is the best music for driving through endless miles of wheat fields and open pasture! Give it a try. It will not disappoint. {It is pretty great with your morning coffee, too.}
Mumford and Sons performed this new song on Saturday Night Live and I couldn’t get it out of my head. So happy to able to download it! “I Will Wait” on the new album Babel.
I cannot get enough of this acoustic cover of Titanium by Collin McLoughllin. The lyrics are striking when sung with only an acoustic guitar. While the dance beat of the original song by David Guetta is great for a run, this arrangement is perfect on a foggy, cool Wednesday morning with a cup of coffee. Enjoy.
With so much time on my hands these days, my fall focus is my home. [I am truly a housewife now-if I wasn’t already before.] Small kids and the insane shuffle of life has left my home, well, disorganized. It is usually hidden behind closet doors and inside drawers, but I can still feel it lurking. Now is the time to conquer the “put it here for now” habit and it will be a hard one to break!
In the next few weeks I will have my ear buds in, jamming to some great tunes and reclaiming some space in our nooks and crannies. I might be listening to “Home”, by Phillip Phillips. I love the message of the song. It reminds me that house is a building..nothing more. But a home holds your family, your heart, and is a soft place to fall.
What is your fall focus?
Hold on, to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along
Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home
Settle down, it’ll all be clear
Don’t pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found
