The Five-Second Rule

I've been tired all day. But I got my tired butt to the gym today. Go me. I get a gold star. (Literally--I have some stars and dots to put on a calendar when I do a habit that I'm changing.) I walked a mile on the treadmill and did some leg work on the machines. I wish they wouldn't blast music, however. I was trying to listen to an audiobook, and was hearing only part of it. Anyway, I'll turn myself into SuperHiker yet! It's a start!

Zara is being Miss Hissy Face right now. I was trying to get a notebook and my cell phone from the bed before I left for work, and she smacked me. It was starting to be a replay of when she scratched me. This time I was smart, and threw a light blanket over her. She disentangled herself from the blanket and did move away, but not before giving me a loud hiss. (By the way, the scratches are healing well.)

I'm interested in the audiobook (The 5 Second Rule: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage), so I'm going to do some cleaning while listening to it. (See, it's changing my habits already!) But I better go talk to Harlee first because she's being very vocal. And loud.

Pere Marquette State Park

I have a vague memory of liking Pere Marquette State Park as a kid. (We took trips all over Illinois when I was a kid.) So I looked it up last night. Beautiful, so beautiful, with lots of hiking trails. It's especially beautiful in the Autumn. So taking a trip there in Autumn is now at the top of my list. I'd love to stay in the Lodge, but it appears to be booked up way in advance. Plus, it's probably very pricey. (They don't post their prices, which I don't like. If you have to ask....) However, I found an Airbnb about 15 minutes away that's $22 a night. Can't beat that. (There is a nicer place that's a little farther away with a river view for $89 a night.) We have Fall Break in October, which should be good leaf-viewing time, so when I get paid, I want to book the Airbnb for Fall Break. The only thing is that I want to have decent hiking boots for that trip because the trails are steep, and there are poisonous snakes in the area.

In another area (Ottawa, IL), I found a place with a class in glass-blowing. Doesn't that sound cool? I'm going to ask my mom if she's interested in trying it.

Illinois has some interesting areas!

I've feeling kind of burnt-out, slightly depressed, tired, and headachy. I think that I'll hole up with some photography books that I checked out of the library (I want to work on photo composition because that doesn't require a DSLR) and a snuggly cat. After I meditate and exercise.