Reading Reviews- January 2013

Whew this month gave me a lot of options in book reading! Perfect thing to do on these cold dark winter nights.  Here is the lowdown on what to read and what to skip:

The Primal Connection : Follow your Genetic Blueprint to Heath and Happiness by Mark Sisson
  This was the much awaited follow-up to the Primal Blueprint. Of course, I am biased when it comes to Mark Sisson. I read his blog Mark's Daily Apple and pretty much own all of his books.  He is my favorite writer in the paleo/primal community. So gush gush. Check out his blog and then buys his books!  
Verdict: Highly Recommend.  This is the only book I actually bought this month.

The Dressmaker: A Novel by Kate Alcott
  I liked this book, but glancing over the reviews, I might be the only one?  Apparently, it is full of historical inaccuracies of the sinking of the Titanic. Fortunately for me, my knowledge about that event is pretty much limited to Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCarpio 1997 movie version.  The story is as light or as heavy as you want it to be.  It is about a young woman,who longs to be a fashion designer. Of course, she is also pursued by two men and must figure out who she loves more. Yawn. What I found interesting, is it tells the story of the survivors- how they were put in the media spotlight and judged for not going down with the ship.  It explores the social notions of "what makes a hero?"
Verdict: I borrowed this an eBook from the library, so it was free. Would I have paid for it?  Yes, if I was going to be on a plane or stuck in jury duty all day.   

The Case for God by Karen Armstrong
  I only made it about a third of the way through this book and I couldn't even continue to skim it.  It is laden with detail and historical facts.  For me,  the details buried the interesting question about religion's place in society through out the ages.  It is written a step or two down from an academic paper.  In fact, if you told me this was adapted from the author's thesis paper, I would totally believe you.
Verdict: If you love detail, you will love this book.  

Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes by Tracey Daniels
  This was a free down load from Amazon and I might have just paid for it too! I haven't yet made any of the recipes, but they look good!  I love cooking in a crockpot and the author has recipes for everything: soups, sides, snacks, desserts, etc.
Verdict: I am thinking yum.

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
     This book got very good reviews.  The story is well written and it kept me interested, but the ending led me nowhere, except that living in North Korea sucks (and I kinda knew that already).  I get that it is a bold move to write about North Korea in such a unflattering narrative.  However, I found the story disturbing and depressing. I felt sorry for everyone, even the "bad" guys.
Verdict: If you are deadset on reading a downer- go for it!

Write Good or Die: Survival Tips for the 21st Century by Scott Nicholson
     I had a brief moment this month, when I flirted with a career as a writer.  This book is a collection of essays written by various authors about writing and publishing a novel. I found it quite inspiring not just for writing, but for life- if you love something go after it!  I like that the essays were short, so anytime I had and extra 5 minutes, I would read one.
Verdict: If you think you might want to be a writer, this provides insight about the all the things you will need to think about. The devil is in the details.

Catherine The Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie
     The author does a good job fashioning facts into a narrative, but I just couldn't get into it. This is a loooong book, so make sure you have time and patience. This story makes being a princess and queen sound not fun! 
Verdict: Meh, but better than the history book version of Catherine the Great.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

I don’t think I can ever get tired of bacon-wrapped dates.  They are so delicious- the sweet and salty layers!  They are also very simple to make:

Lay bacon on baking sheet and put in oven at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. 

Let bacon cool.

Wrap pitted dates in bacon and skewer together.

Bake another 10 minutes until bacon crisps.

I love these for breakfast or as a compliment to soup.  If I have a couple let over, they make a perfect snack. Bacon makes everything better J

A Mojo Renaissance

14 Years Ago….

I left my home in Hawaii and flew over 2,000 miles of ocean to start a new adventure in California.

I was fearlessly optimistic.  I wasn’t afraid. People always ask me that? I was so young and inexperienced I had no idea what there was to fear or worry about?

My biggest concern was getting a job?  That’s right, I moved without having any idea how I was going to make a living.  I needed a job, so I knew I would find one.

My second biggest problem was keeping warm.  I went from 80 degree Hawaii weather to California in January- Brrrr!  Someone had to explain to me I needed to turn the heater in my apartment on and I figured out how to dress in layers by accident. Bottom line: I didn’t freeze to death, I adapted.

I called home once a week on land line phone.  I was behind the curve on cell phones and the internet, but that didn’t stop me from keeping in touch with friends and family.

I had no car. I still got to everywhere I needed to go.  I walked, biked or caught the bus. 

I made a risky choice, but it was the right choice.  I had that spark to make things happen, against very unrealistic odds. 

If I could go back and tell myself one thing it would be “thank you” for having the courage to leap.  Reflecting on this has inspired me; reminded me of what I am capable of.  Over the years, convention has crept into every part of my life and I started living in “limits” rather than “possibilities.”  It is time to set a revival in motion.  I have no idea what this actually means…yet. Let the Rani Renaissance unfold.

Resolution: Better than Yesterday

This past weekend I did a Resolution 5k Run.  At the end of the race, you got to write down a resolution and it will be mailled to you in July so you can access your progress. My resolution: Work towards doing an unassisted pull-up.  I would have loved to written: Do a pull-up but, according to the research, woman can’t do pull-ups. 

In a recent study, researchers at the University of Dayton put 17 women through a training program to increase strength in those magical pull-ups muscles.  After three months, only 4 of the woman could do a pull-up.    Researcher were very surprised, but came up with several reasons pull-ups elude woman:

*Lower testosterone means woman develop less muscle then men

*Woman typically have higher levels of body fat

*Also if you are taller or have long arms (this applies to men too), you are at a disadvantage

I have being trying to do a pull-up for over a year now, so reading this article should make me rejoice.  It’s not failure, it’s biology!  But the fact is, I see evidence that doesn’t support this every day at CrossFit. Most women, I know, can do pull-ups! And every trainer at my box fully believes that I can too.  Finally, this article gives me an out…but I don’t want an out, I want a pull-up. 

An unassisted pull-up was a 2012 goal that was not fulfilled (I even asked Santa for a pull-up).  Focusing on doing a pull-up brought me endless frustration and no real progress was ever made. So this year, I am changing tactics.  My goal isn’t a pull-up. It is to work towards being able to do a pull-up.  I am shifting the focus to the process rather than the result.

A trainer gave me two things to work on: doing strict pull-ups with bans to build my pull-up muscles and strengthen my wrists/grip with some dumbbell exercises.  I also found the tips in this video helpful :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP9CemlbImQ

Will I get a pull-up in 2013? I honestly don’t know, but I am sure as hell going to reach my goal of trying!

“Why Woman Can’t Do Pull-ups” article link: 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/why-women-cant-do-pull-ups/

Resolution: To Be a Kinder Cat

Have you seen this YouTube clip:  Cat-Friend vs Dog-Friend:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdnKczUbcfc

The first time I saw it I thought, why would anyone want to own a cat? It was amusing enough, so I watched it a couple more times and started seeing people as either cat-types or dog types. Then I realized…I am a cat.   

Obviously, dogs are so much easier and pleasant to be around! Even I own a dog and not a cat!  Why would anyone want to be my friend?  I want/need to be less of a cat to the people I care about.

I thought about trying to be more like a dog: friendly, eager-to-please and loving.  As I cat, I can see how those qualities are desirable.  But being a cat, I can’t be a dog.   At best I can be a kinder cat: less aloof, more welcoming and making an effort to do nice things for others. 

So I am making a conscious effort this year BE KIND to others.

Meow….

Holidaze

I heard a doctor say that before the holidays, Neurology is busy and after the holidays Psychology gets really busy.  Seems the stress of the season brings out people’s ticks and spending time with family requires a counseling session.  The most wonderful time of year has become a survival skills test of modern life.  Why do we do this to ourselves? 

I think the biggest problem is we try to celebrate it too much.  In a concentrated frenzy, we shop for gifts, decorate, and cook for Christmas.  There are work parties, friend’s gathering and family traditions.  (Just from work alone, I got four invites for holiday parties!)  By Christmas Day, you’ve already been celebrating Christmas for 3-4 weeks.   All the sparkly lights and sugary treats become a holiday blur and it stops being fun and starts being a chore.  How do you enjoy the holidays, while not driving yourself mad?

Being on my own this season has made me very conscious of making good choices to be able to enjoy the holiday season.  My major revelation has been prioritizing what is not important and minimizing the time spent on it: 

-          Christmas cards. I skipped this. I admit, I was very tempted (to feel obligated) to send Christmas cards, at least to those who sent them to me.  I resisted.

-          Decorations. I started to rile myself up over decorations and then realized, decking my house out was not all that important to me. Instead, I volunteered to decorate the office.  I get to see lovely holiday decorations five times a week.

-          Gifts.  Shopping for gifts is a chore.  So I got my shopping done early. I simply asked people what they wanted and shopped online, as much as, possible. The day after Thanksgiving, I was at the post office, mailing off boxes.  That’s right, Rani Claus brings you exactly what you asked for!

-          Holiday parties.  I scheduled the important ones first so that I didn’t end up trying to juggle my time.   I also said no thanks to some invites.

I know, I sound a little grinchy.  Like the majority of people, I really want to enjoy the holidays, but the list of “to-dos” and “should dos” has become a burden.  I minimized or eliminated the things I wasn’t really enjoying.  I was left with time to focus on the people and things, I do enjoy:

-Spending quality time with family.  I used to go back to Hawaii for Christmas, but people were busy there too. To spend time with them, I practically had to follow them around while they did the Christmas chores.  Now, I plan my Hawaii trips during non-holidays for maximum quality time.  I direct my attention to the family I do have here.   My sister and I have an annual Christmas lunch with my Aunty.  This year, there are some popular Hawaii entertainers coming to Cali to do a Christmas show, which my sister and I got tickets too! So I get quality family time and taste of Hawaii.

-          Event Traditions.  There is no shortage of events you can participate in for the holidays. Instead of trying to do them all, I decided to pick a couple and really enjoy them.  My picks for this year are Holiday of Lights at Folsom Zoo and ice skating. Ice skating last through January, so if I don’t make it before Christmas, I will be okay with that. 

-          Christmas Feast.  I try to make good eating choices prior to the holiday. By saving special food for the special day, it is well- actually special.

-          Sweets and Treats. Oh the temptations are endless, but I have my favorites like- peppermint mochas. Yes, I realize you can get these year round, but I only get them during the holiday season. That makes it taste even better.  It is amazing how much the little things matter.

So far my post-Thanksgiving time has been manageable. I suffer some residual guilt for saying no to party invitations and not sending out Christmas cards.  But mostly I relish the calmness that allows me to enjoy this season.  This may be the first Christmas, I’ve actually had time to enjoy since childhood.

Perfect is the Enemy of Good

Here I am again… weeks have gone by without me posting a blog. I have no good reason for not crafting a weekly post, but let me try out a few theories: 1) The weather changed- it got dark and cold and I just followed my instincts to seasonally slow down. 2) Life is peacefully, so nothing fired me up to get a good piece going.  3)  Writing both thrills and scares me into inertia.

While all of these excuses make up the truth, #3 is the biggest part of why I haven’t been writing.  Honestly, I haven’t even attempted to write a blog, but I thought about it- a lot. I feel pressure to produce and publish only perfection.   That kind of pressure creates avoidance, because I hate to fail.  I thought about just deleting the whole Rice Kracker blog and stop stressing myself unnecessarily.

But I just can’t quit writing because it is my outlet for creating something. I am not artsy or mechanically inclined, but I can use words to build something.   I love the way you start with a blank screen and sentence by sentence a piece gets created.   You arrange, rearrange, delete and revise until thoughts are shaped into a symphony of words.  

Another reason I can’t quit is writing is an adventure.  I often start writing not really knowing where I am heading and then ending up somewhere I never thought I would.  For example, I wrote this blog intending to expound upon how you shooting for perfection can paralyze you, but instead it has evolved into how much I love creating with words.

Having a blog to write is a good thing for me. It exercises my creative muscles.  I need to get pass perfect inertia and just write. I need to take the time to do this regularly.  I need to face that blank screen and see what adventures are in store.