Challenges: An update

So the big question is... how are those challenges going?!  Pretty well, I'd say:

1. Victorian Literature Challenge: I am halfway through Wives and Daughters.  It's slow going since I am listening to it in half-hour increments, but it's been a good read so far.  And listening to it has it's advantages.  I confuse that I often impatiently skip over great chunks of narration describing rocks, trees, and any other tidbits about which I don't really care.  But listening to the novel means hearing all those bits.... and learning to appreciate them more.  And I didn't realize that this work was actually unfinished by the author.  I doubt I would have chosen it if I had known that...  I have read all of Austen except Sandition for that very reason...

2.  Expand Food Horizons: I made Ghana "rice and stew" twice now.  I tweaked the recipe both times (I can't help it) and the second one turned out much better.  Now I have a TON of rice and stew.  Which works out well since my parents loaded me up with rice while I was home for Christmas.  So rice and stew are now my everyday-lunch-food...  A nice daily reminder of Ghana.  The next food on my list to try is Gumbo.  Why Gumbo you ask?  Well, because a friend's garden is pretty heavy on okra and we really don't know what to do with it.  So feel free to offer Gumbo and okra recipes!

3.  Cards: This one isn't going as well as I would like.  I haven't shirked card writing, I just realize there are SO MANY people I could write to and I get a little overwhelmed...  So it's become sort of a stress rather than a pleasure.  But I'm sure that will work itself out in time.

4.  The Bicycle Race:  I have been riding ten miles every-other-day regularly for the last few weeks.  It hasn't been as difficult as I thought.  And by that, I mean the actual getting up at 7 o'clock in the morning to do it.  But, very surprisingly, I only hit my snooze a couple times each "riding day" and I'm starting a routine.  Today I went the farthest I've ever gone.  And I'd be able to tell you exactly how far that is if my odometer/speedometer had arrived yesterday like it should have.  I would guess about 15 miles.  My hope is to make that distance the new daily norm in a couple weeks :)

5.  The Blog: This one's a little more transparent...  as you can see, so far, so good!