Book Review: Finish First: Winning Changes Everything by Scott Hamilton & Allison Fallon

With the Winter Olympics going on, this book was an interesting read on several levels. Mr Hamilton ended up winning a gold medal at the Olympics many years ago (not really that long ago, but in a sport that is dominated by a new crop of teenagers every four years, it does seem a couple of generations ago). He is using this book to excite people about demanding the best - of others, of themselves and of society. Figure skating was not a very successful sport this year for the US and some critics have said that the US skaters are not fighting enough and are not determined enough. Just today I was reading in papers that the skaters were missing their families and wanting to go home. While this is understandable, other nations have athletes too that are separated from their families and yet, these athletes seemed somehow more determined and more willing to compete for whatever it takes to win a medal.
Mr Hamilton in this book is addressing the fear that outcompeting and seeming too competitive is somehow a bad thing in this society, whereas other countries embrace. And not just in sports, but also in research and business. Competition is good according to Mr Hamilton and we should be excited to see where it takes us and when we hit the infamous wall. Seemingly appeasing people and trying to get along with people is not what brings out the best in us, competition will.
Will you succeed every time - No! But giving your best and trying your hardest to better than others is the only way that you will succeed in the end.
I think as a woman in a career dominated by males being too competitive is something that will seem negative to some supervisors. it is not expected behavior of women in the US and does not fit the female stereotype. You can either then settle for a middle of the road career that will never provide you with the chance to show your full potential. Or you can, and this is what I have done, do your best and push yourself, no matter what, showing excellence in as many things as you can. Eventually the environment will be right for you to shine and then you are ready, because you have striven for excellence all the time. I found this book to be very optimistic and inspiring. it does not paint the world as perfect, but it also makes sure that the only way you will find success is by trying your best every single time. 

available on amazon.com

Disclaimer: I received a free copy pf the book in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

Book Review: Hello Mornings: How to Build a Grace-Filled, Life-Giving Morning Routine by Kat Lee

I am a morning person, but I have plenty of friends who could stay in bed until noon and still feel like they need some more rest. So I picked up this book to see whether this author really presented some useful tips on how to be a morning person and maybe I could learn something too in the process.

The author claims that three minutes is enough to get the morning off to a good start. Unfortunately, this includes bible study. I would have preferred if the author had focused on calling this process something more generic, such as reflection or meditation.  I find that some of the best books for life advice often curtail their target audience by limiting themselves in totally unnecessary ways. This too is one such book. Many people want to ensure that their day gets off to a good start and this book has some good advice. I think the author would have captured a wider audience keeping the book open to people of various religious backgrounds.

Overall, I liked the book and felt it was well written and contained easy to follow steps that made for a more effective start in the morning by providing something that many people are missing - structure. Even though it only takes a few minutes, having a plan and some structure I know helps me to get my morning started. Once I am in my routine, things flow and come naturally. I get stuff done without thinking about them in particular and actually plan my day and think about issues at work most effectively while engaging in that morning routine.

I recommend this book especially for busy moms that need to juggle job and family and take care of both in the morning. A well written book that can help people and  makes a morning routine something to look forward to and not a drag.

available on amazon.com

Disclaimer: I received a free book in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

Restaurant Review = Texas Roadhouse Durham, NC

Living in Southern Durham, we have a lot of restaurant and eateries available in the area and rarely venture out to North Durham. One place we regular visit in the Northern Durham location is the Texas Roadhouse. There is only one location in Durham and judging by the people waiting for dinner every evening, they could fill two locations up easily in Durham. The reason, I believe, they are so busy is not just the quality of the food, which is good for a chain steakhouse, but also the price they charge for the food. The value based on portion size, taste and quality is excellent. Two people can have dinner for $40 and that includes either two sides with your entree or a salad and a side.
For one of our visits, we elected to have an appetizer. They do have a bloomin oinion, which is good, for us though a little bit greasy and since we usually have some left over, we opted for the fried pickles. The pickles were crispy on the outside and the inside was juicy. They held up well when reheated the next day. We also opted for the horseradish sauce rather than the more high calorie Ranch dressing. Overall, I definitely recommend the pickles rather than the fried onion, especially if you are only two people for dinner.

The appetizer = Fried Pickles with a Cajun horseradish sauce - good portion (this was left for the leftovers box)

House Salad - nice variety of item with your choice of dressing (in this case oil and vinegar)

 Their house salad (or Caesar salad alternative) are considered a side. I usually opt for the house salad rather than a side because the salad has a nice variety of items added. It has tomatoes, cheese, egg, croutons, and some greens. My dressing of choice is oil and vinegar and they give you plenty. It is a good portion and I have never had a bad salad in the place. I cannot speak to their Ceasar salad, but based on the calorie count indicated on the card, I do expect a lot of dressing to come with that as well. You have been warned!
It is a steakhouse and so my dinner entree is usually a steak. I used to order fries with the steak, but prefer now the baked potatoes, either as Russet or sweet potato, and usually just ask for butter and sour cream. They do offer a loaded baked potato option, which costs extra, but it also is pretty much lunch at other restaurants. Again, in case you have not realized it by now, bring a good appetite and the portion size is huge. For steak, I usually have the NY Strip in 8oz, although they offer larger portions of it and on Friday through Sunday they also have prime rib. Steak is prepared to order and so far, I have not been disappointed. This is especially true considering the prices charged.

It is a steakhouse after all - so here is the main dish with their version of fries. I prefer their baked potatoes (regular or sweet)

Salmon - very juicy and a good portion for the price. The two sides were mashed potatoes and green beans.

 They also have fish and chicken dinners and my guest usually prefers a fish selection. The salmon is very good. Again, good portion size and nice and juicy. As sides, you can select from rice or potato dishes and a variety of vegetables. You can see again the portion size of the sides, the salmon dinner is filling and goes for about $12. Quite affordable for a dinner that fills you up.

sweet tea in the t-go cup (just ask for one) and the famous peanuts in buckets

Now something about the actual atmosphere of the place. It is noisy; this is not the place for a business dinner or even romantic date night where you want to have quality conversation. They have music playing, the place is crowded and the staff ever so often will put in a line dance routine to up the volume of the place some more.  It is good for family night out and when you want to relax and have fun. They provide free peanuts to the guests (also in the waiting area to help you kill the time when the wait is up to one hour for a table). So have some peanuts in between your courses and when you want to stay a little bit longer and finish up your beverage.
Tips:

• do call ahead seating. It will cut down on your wait time on busy days, which is seemingly every day for dinner around 7PM.
• Ask for a to go cup for your tea or soda, they usually bring you a fresh drink.
• save the rolls and excellent cinnamon butter for the next day, you can probably also get another order of rolls to go. I personally just save the initial basket they give you because the prices are so good, I hate to exploit their positive customer service to get more free stuff.
  

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed are my own and I have not received any compensation for this post.