life Reading

5 on a Friday: Quick Things + Recs

September 29, 2023

1- Elisabeth is back in blogland!! She lost her prior site in a server malfunction which had to have been devastating. BUT, she’s back and just as lovely as ever. Visit her!

Elisabeth I hope you don’t mind me sharing your beautiful header!

2- I have been TIRRRRRED this week. I made a tactical error (sort of) and didn’t sleep in on Thursday. Josh ended up missing his run that day and we’ve decided that day he will take the early run shift (since it’s his day to drive the kids to school) and I will use it as a morning to catch up on sleep (ie: get up at ~6 instead of 4:30). I have been out of energy

Tired = grumpy

Grumpy = scrolling

Scrolling = more grumpiness and disgust at how I am wasting my life away

Okay it’s not that bad. And I have my suspicions some of it is hormonal. But, next week –> more sleep.

3- The 2024 Boston Marathon cutoffsjust wow. I violated my social media rules and spent a lot of time on Reddit. I feel so bad for people who ran 5 minutes UNDER qualifying and still won’t get to race in 2024! It does not make me feel positive about my chances of getting to run Boston in 2025 but I feel like I just have to aim for the qualifying time first and then go from there, since even that is a stretch.

4- Mini-rant: School informational meetings during the work day. Is this a thing everywhere? I find it really frustrating especially when they are not offered on video (I think video would be a nice compromise so people could watch asynchronously and school personnel wouldn’t have to work after hours).

Are schools still assuming in this day and age that someone is home with free time most days?

5- LOVED the Edit Your Life ep on decluttering with Shira Gill as recommended by a reader and I actually ordered the guest’s book immediately.

I know a certain 11 year old that will probably also be super into it.

16 Comments

  • Reply Omdg September 29, 2023 at 6:37 pm

    Sarah! We skipped curriculum night this year and I think we will end up skipping parent teacher conferences as well bc they are hunger games style wait in line for your turn for three hours no reservations allowed. It’s so freeing! We haven’t had a during the day info session for school (yet) but omg the 945pm emails the night before happen at least once per week. Those teachers are absolutely on my shit list and it’s probably better if I never meet them. 🙂

    • Reply Lucy September 30, 2023 at 7:25 am

      My parents went once to one of those meetings and swore to never be back. And the followed through the next 15 years. Same for mothers’ group lunch/dinner.

  • Reply Elisabeth September 29, 2023 at 9:27 pm

    Sleep is tough. I just can’t seem to find the right balance.

    Wow about Boston times. I wonder if my sister is trying to qualify again this year? I haven’t even thought to check in about that. She got in last year but then broke her neck, several vertebrae, and her collarbone in a biking accident in late November (she’s huge into gravel biking + does Ironman’s a few times a year). She ran Boston about a month after getting out of her neck brace – yikes! But…she just broke several ribs in another biking accident (I think this is the universe telling her to STOP BIKING); if she got in again this year I was debating going to Boston to cheer her on!!!

    Thanks for the shout-out. And again I’ll give huge credit to Kae on the logo. I floated some ideas to her and she suggested I find a way to incorporate a lighthouse which is perfect in so many ways <3

  • Reply Sarah September 30, 2023 at 7:45 am

    I have started skipping those school meetings– even the evening ones, and it is life-changing! Our kids’ high school offers narrated slides after meetings which is awesome. (But I actually haven’t watched those either, now that I think about it)

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger September 30, 2023 at 4:15 pm

      Skipping is what I’m going to do because I can’t move patients! They say parents are ‘required’ to attend at least some of them but does not appear to be enforced . . .

  • Reply Heather September 30, 2023 at 9:08 am

    Public school teacher here and all of our major things are after school is over. We offer parent teacher conferences on teams and they can be scheduled anytime with our counselor. The only thing we offer in the workday is a voluntary q and a with the principal once a month in the morning. I find parents become more hands off on 8th grade though.

  • Reply Kristie September 30, 2023 at 5:07 pm

    I wasn’t surprised about the Boston times after I heard how many people registered (33k!). I would love to run it again, but I’m at peace with how everything shook out this year (I was 3 min under the BQ time, not the 5:30 that was needed). I love the training process and what I learn from each race. Chicago weather is looking great for the marathon next weekend—I can’t wait!

    I’m not a running coach, but it looks like you’ve had a very strong training block. I predict a great race for you, which is really a celebration of all the hard work you’ve put into it!

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger September 30, 2023 at 5:21 pm

      ahhhh so excited for your Chicago adventure! I’m eyeing it for 2024 .. . .

  • Reply San September 30, 2023 at 5:19 pm

    The Boston times are tough. I wish it wasn’t such an “elite” race and that anybody could run it… for so many people the times are just out of reach. I think your mental approach is right – try for the qualifying time and then see what happens.

  • Reply Jen September 30, 2023 at 7:46 pm

    In DC, the school information evenings never start before 6:30/7, before that literally nobody would be there. Many adult sports activities are 8-10pm here because everyone is obsessed with work. I’m from San Diego where people work hard, but reasonable hours, and do not enjoy the work culture here in the DC area!

  • Reply D October 1, 2023 at 7:06 pm

    School-no they all work and just don’t care. They think you should accommodate, not the other way around. If they give enough notice, I somewhat agree as long as it’s not too frequent. Their jobs are tough enough without having to stay extra late to greet students the next morning at 7:30.

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger October 1, 2023 at 7:27 pm

      I totally get that – just wish video could be an option. Would love to be able to get info asynchronously – that way everyone wins!

  • Reply jennystancampiano October 2, 2023 at 11:50 am

    Oh I didn’t see that about Boston! Yeah, that sucks. At this point my only hope of running Boston is to hang in there until I’m elderly (so far so good!) and qualify then.
    I hope you get some extra sleep this week!

  • Reply jennystancampiano October 2, 2023 at 11:52 am

    No, I didn’t see that about Boston. Yes that sucks for a lot of people! At this point my only hope of running Boston is to hang in there until I’m elderly (so far so good!) and possibly qualify then.
    I hope you’re getting some extra sleep this week!

  • Reply jennystancampiano October 2, 2023 at 11:52 am

    (sorry I might have sent a duplicate comment- internet issues!)

  • Reply Ping Pong Thoughts Post 10-year-old’s Birthday – Not a Wasted Word October 22, 2023 at 8:05 pm

    […] of getting rid of stuff, I listened to Shira Gill’s episode of Edit Your Life (because of SHU‘s recommendation) and I really liked her. Discussions around minimalism can really irk me […]

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