7 Quick Takes

1. Today will be day 2 of no coffee. It's very sad, but it's for a good cause. I am happy that it only took me a week and half to wean off of this beverage of champions. I had a slight headache yesterday, but it was manageable. The bigger problem is loss of productivity. I am realizing for the first time that coffee made me a better person.

2. I am currently addicted to reading human survival stories. I got sucked in initially by reading Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm. What an incredible book. My favorite part was his discussion on the history of sailing and commercial fishing and the comment that there are houses in coastal New England where the floorboards in front of upstairs windows are literally worn out from wives pacing back and forth, watching the sea for the return of their husbands. That just....gets to me.

3. On that note, my next survival story is Alive by Piers Paul Reed, about the rugby team that crashed in the Andes mountains. So hardcore.

4. After that book, I'll be moving on to Spike Walker's Working on the Edge, where he tells the story of king crab fishing in Alaska. Oh man. I cannot wait.

5. Speaking of AK, it might be news to some of you that The Land of the Midnight Sun is the place of my birth. I lived there for 14 years and it was a blast. Where else can you have moose on your playground at school? I like the Nati, and Kentucky was v. nice, but I will always be an Alaskan at heart. It is understandable for people to take for granted the place where they grow up, but I knew every morning when I watched the sun rise over the mountains that I was privileged to witness it.

6. Tomorrow is World Toilet Day. If you have access to the miracle of indoor plumbing and good sanitation....give thanks.

7. If you were wondering if that pumpkin is still on my front porch feeding the squirrels, don't worry. It is.

for more 7 Quick Takes, check out Conversion Diary

Have a nice weekend!