A fantastic week to be an introvert.

September 30, 2016

September 30, Southeast Ohio.

  October is just around the corner! I'm on my third weekend of traveling and being out and about with people, which is quite shocking to me. I'm not quite the extrovert and one who wants to continuously be on the go, but these opportunities are worth it. The photo to the left was this afternoon's drive home from work, and it was a gorgeous ride. Despite the icky rain off and on this week, how can you not feel blessed to be living when you see a sky such as this one?

  My co-worker - a new friend - and I went to Chipotle to celebrate her birthday. I earned my last free bowl for the season. We went to Chipotle maybe three times since she started working with me, and we aren't complaining! This is one of the few places I trust with my vegan diet. I'm usually not disappointed, except a little bit today when the location we were at was all out of my favorite Tabasco sauce. Next time, if we aren't in a rush like today, we'll ask for another bottle and get all the hot sauce!

  

  This week was a introverted, personal week for me. I was able to come home after work each day and just be alone and read. It felt so good to finish two books, Gumption by Nick Offerman and A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. The two books aren't all that similar, but both are very good reads. This adds up to a total of 32 books for the year. Yay! Talk about beating my goal, which was 30 for the year. Either the books I've read were all really short or I was just that dedicated. It crazy to think I've accomplished this when in high school I had such a hard time getting through a single chapter on many, many occasions.

  Nick's Gumption is basically a series of 21 biographies of people of gumption, according to Nick. He shares the story of each person, makes personal connections and tells us why this person's life story is worth knowing. I LOVE this idea. As I previously noted, I want to write a book like this one day. I mean, who wouldn't want to compile content for a book by interviewing personal heroes, mentors and historical figures? He didn't get to meet in person with everyone, unfortunately.

  Even though I can't get excited or really dig into the topics of woodworking and boat making as much as Nick and others, I still enjoyed learning more about Nick's passion outside of his acting and writing life. My phone has quite a few photos capturing quotes from the book. Some funny, others inspiring. His own words were well written, but I enjoyed the advice and guidance from his people of gumption, as well.

Like a Texan Ghandi, [Willie Nelson] clearly just gets it: 'Anybody can be unhappy. We can all be hurt. You don't have to be poor to need something or somebody. Rednecks, hippies, misfits - we're all the same. Gay or straight? So what? It doesn't matter to me. We have to be concerned about other people, regardless.'

  While I knew many of the famous, noteworthy individuals he discusses, there were some I didn't know. One person I appreciated learning more about was Yoko Ono. I never went out of my way to learn more about her but never shared the opinion many have that she is the reason why The Beatles parted ways when the band did. She was more than just John Lennon's wife, of course, and is accomplished in her own right as an artist. And, to this day, she is still an activist. Thanks, Nick, for the great story telling and inspiring me to continue learning more about others, to stick to my guns and to attempt to learn more about topics I'm unfamiliar with.

  A Man Called Ove, a novel about an older man dealing with the loss of his wife and is witty, funny, gloomy, and a potential tear-jerker all at the same time. A quick read, this book was a joy and well worth it. We were alike in the fact that we both find it imperative to keep to our routines. Mine are because of my OCD and anxiety, though. He was such a simple yet complex man.

He worked for the railways for five years. Then one morning he boarded a train and saw her for the first time. That was the first time he laughed since his father's death. And life was never again the same. People said Ove saw the world in black and white. But she was color. All the color he had.

  He needed to do things the same way every time, was honest in nice and tough-love ways, disliked reading and getting into deep conversations, and followed the rules. Ove was loved by a woman who seemed like the complete opposite, and others would say she was too good for him. If I continue discussing this book, I feel like I'm going to give away too much information. Just go read the book, both books! My favorite jokes were the ones about cars; Ove loves his Saabs.

  I'll leave you with this photo. This was on the walk to my car after a morning workout sometime this month. Despite my need to read indoors, I hope you seek adventure where it suits best this week, outside or in the depths of a jaw-dropping book. ;)

September 23, Southeast Ohio.