Porch post

No time for an organized post, Claire should be waking up any minute now ...

I read my first Dean Koontz novel ("Odd Thomas") this week on Matt's recommendation. It's not anything I would have picked up on my own but he was sure I'd like the plot and love the characters and he was right. That's about all I can say without saying too much.

After that I started reading "Pride and Prejudice" for the first time. Honestly, I'm not sure how I managed to graduate from high school without reading this. Was it possibly never required? Or is it one of those I "read" by watching the movie and skimming Cliff's Notes? The former seems improbable, but if it's the latter, I did not retain a drop. So far (less than halfway through) I don't think I missed much, but I'm going to persevere, because there are too many Mr. Darcy references that I don't get.

Yesterday we did a major decluttering of the attic and garage. We did this when we first listed the house but already it was needed again. Some closets and pantries are next in line. I hope this doesn't break Dad's heart but it felt great to finally toss box after box (after box) of old report cards, photos of science fair projects, newspaper clippings of tennis match results, Valentines from elementary school friends and similar technically irreplaceable yet ultimately not-worth-moving-again papers. I even threw away my high school diploma, which felt kind of wrong but I couldn't think of a good reason to keep it. If that was a bad call, someone let me know as soon as possible, because trash pick-up is tomorrow.

Also got a great run in yesterday -- the weather was decent for an outdoor run for the first time in probably a month. To me, there's no comparison between running outside, preferably on a trail, and running on a treadmill. On a treadmill, it's all about passing the time with mental tricks. Not allowing myself to check the time but once every three songs, slightly increasing the speed or incline every minute for 10 minutes, etc. Outside, I can zone out and the minutes tick by without my help. I don't want to wish summer away, but fall runs are something to look forward to.

Blueberries have a new rival for Claire's affection: peaches. Georgia belle peaches, specifically. In recent afternoons I've been cutting up four or five of them at a time and she matches me bite for bite until they're gone. We got a handful in our co-op box last week, but most of what we're eating comes from Mom's overflow (thank you!). She buys them by the crate.

Is anyone else extremely excited for a new season of "Mad Men"? I only like about five TV shows but this definitely makes the cut.

Claire's up so I'm out.