Flailing or Perspective?

A couple of weeks ago, in one of my advanced yoga classes, we were practicing headstands. I've written before, I think, on headstand prep poses. Essentially, you begin in downward-facing dog pose and lower your forearms to the floor, clasping your hands together. Thus, your feet are about a few feet from your forearms, and your head is moving forward a bit. Your hands being clasped creates a sort of triangle. You place the crown of your head in that triangle before slowing walking your feet toward your arms. As your feet get closer, you begin to walk on your toes. Finally, you start bringing your knees in toward your body. This had been as far as I'd gotten so far.

My instructor had said, time and time again, you'll know when you're ready. Your feet will just come of the ground, lifting from your core.

And they did.

I was amazed. I quietly said, "Lea Ann," calling my instructor over to me. She exclaimed, "That's it!" and came over to my mat. She spotted my back, giving me the slightest support. (She prefers we not practice headstand prep against the wall---relying too much, then, on the wall and not our core for support.)

And then my feet were back down. But I was so excited!

I kept trying. By then, my instructor had moved to spot someone else, and my feet popped back up off the floor. I did as I should have, and I pulled them in toward my body. Then I felt my body lean the wrong direction.

And I was afraid.

In hindsight (ah, hindsight), I should have tucked my chin and rolled forward---something I'd done plenty of as a child in gymnastics. But instead, I, well, I freaked out. :-) (I have qiute a history with falling, after all!)

I suppose I was trying to fling my body back the direction it had come from. In doing so, I let out a loud yelp and, from my fellow yogis' reports, ran with my feet in mid air, flailing my feet around. Finally, I leaned toward the left, and actually landed on my feet.

My instructor at first (and she even used this as a story in our next class---with my permission) thought that I had tried too soon to straighten my legs. No, I was plenty happy to be in the state where I was, with my feet off the ground and my knees pulled in. I was simply falling.

But that's okay. I know now the support to ask for (not support on my back, but just someone to be there in case I do fall forward). I also now have a plan of what to do if again I have my feet up and begin to fall forward (tuck and roll!).

And isn't that the thing with learning new things, pushing ourselves, deepening our confidence in ourselves and our bodies--having a plan for when those challenges bring surprises? I think so. I'm once again finding myself happily content with how much I learn about life and my approach to it through my yoga practice. At first I was flailing, but that gave me perspective. And I really could have written that about my headstand or things deeper and more personal to me.

And one day, I also have confidence that I'll find the strength I need in that final prepatory pose, and my feet will glide straight up into the air.

And Another New Chapter Set to Begin

Go Jaguars!

Yes, my new AFC team will be my new home team: the Jacksonville Jaguars. :-) Don't worry, even if they go up against da 'Boys, my loyalties will always lie with that team from Dallas.

My long (very long) search has finally come to an end, and I'm headed to Jacksonville Florida. I've accepted a tenure-track position there with Florida Coastal, where I'll teach Torts and Remedies this coming year, adding another course in '09-10.

It's certainly been a long process. This spot came up at an odd time, and we had not been connected during the traditional season last fall. But this past January, this ball finally started rolling.

In early March, I did the committee interview over the phone, followed by another phone interview with a company designed to rate my talent for teaching. I did well on that, and they invited me to campus for the multi-day interview at the end of March. The other nice thing was that I got to see the city, and I really liked it!

What's even better than all of that is that I also really liked the people. They were friendly, open, welcoming. Okay, sure, so they were trying to sell themselves as much as I was me. But the thing about the multi-day interview is that if people are not being genuine, it's easier to figure that out when you're there for so long. I cannot say it in any better way, really, than just that it completely felt "right."

And then came the long wait for the offer. Their school had spring break the week after my visit, so that added extra time in the wait. But finally, an offer came Monday, we negotiated over the week, and I accepted yesterday. WooHoo!!

And yes, Jacksonville is just about on the coast: eighteen miles away. I find the beach and the sound of the ocean to be especially healing to my soul, so I'm tickled to be so close.

Other things? well, yes, I think Howard will be happy. I know already of at least two fenced-in dog parks in the city. The city itself is the largest city in land area in the US, but population-wise it reminds me of Fort Worth or even Memphis. Demographic seem similar to Fort Worth. It's in northern Florida, so it's more like southern Georgia than Miami. It's large enough to have a symphony orchestra, get tours of Broadway shows, and have an NFL team, but ti's still small enough that you can become a part of a community. For me, it's the ideal size. (I usually consider a city's population much more than its geographical size.)

My relocation package will take care of the move, and I'll head down in mid-June to look for a house. I'll rent first, with the goal of buying perhaps next summer---once I know more about the neighborhood I want to live in. The big move will occur probably in earl July. I"m still trying to plan a trip for me in early August, but I'll need to work that around a faculty orientation scheduled early that month too.

In the meantime, I'm writing final exams, which my students take next week and the week after. I"ll have to grade those (painful) then work on the article I could not focus on with this job prospect that came up. A few folks are also trying to work out schedules for visits next month, so it's going to be busy around here!

I did it! A year ago, I took a chance by leaving my familiar life to do something I wanted more than anything else, taking the risk that with only a one-year gig, the future would work out. And it has. Beautifully. This new place seems like just the right fit. And so the next step is about to begin: me, as a Floridian.

Being Aware

Since the weekend, my leg is much better. I also talked over the injury with my yoga instructor last night, and she probably pinpointed exactly what happened. It has something to do with, oh, gosh, being an "over-achiever." Who, me?

Last Thursday, we did a lot of poses during which she would remind us to externally rotate the leg. And I probably did that as if I was being paid for every bit I rotated. Instead, it's important just to be aware of where you are and what you're doing, but not go beyond your limits.

Isn't that the same in everything?

If you scrub the bathtub, for example, do you (usually---we're not talking what it was like to clean my tub here when I first moved into this house) . . . anyway, do you really need to scrub hard, really using, or even taxing, the muscles in your shoulder and arm? No, probably not when you clean the tub each week or so. But some of us do.

When you're chopping veggies, if someone walked in, would they wonder what the veggies had done to make you so upset with them? You don't need a lot of force to chop a carrot. Why not just do what it takes, being aware of how much is needed to chop that carrot, and not slamming through it any more forcefully than needed?

When you brush your teeth, are you brushing---or scrubbing with force? (my own clue: the difference in my gumline on the left side of my mouth (I'm right-handed) than on the right, showing my tendency to mindlessly scrub.)

And so in yoga and in other areas of my life, I'm going to try to work on paying attention to where I am and what I'm doing in the moment. Am I going too far, or am I doing things with purpose? Am I aware of all of the sensations my movements and actions are resulting in? Am I fully tuned into the things I'm doing and the related outcomes? Or am I doing things, with too much "umph" in a mindless manner, without being truly plugged in to what's going on. I need to plug in, to be aware. I'll be working on that.

Happy Spring Break!

Spring, of course, does not officially begin for another few weeks. But for me, Spring Break is here. (I know--incredibly early, but I have no say in such things.)

I used the weekend to wind down, run errands, and tackle some things in the house. But the rest of my "break" will be devoted to writing.

One of my errands brought spring to my car. The last two days have been beautiful---up into the 70s and sunny; naturally, then, I drove around some with the top down and the warmth of the sun on my head. Ahhhhhh. But my car so far had been missing something.

See, the Beetle comes with a bud vase as part of the dash. So many people have asked me, "do you have flowers in your vase?" And always, I answered in the negative. But no more! I now have some great orange/red tulips there. As soon as I got them, I put them in the vase, and I tell ya, they made me smile all the way home. :-) (I also picked up some really cute wild daisies for the summer, and I'm hoping my sister can find some silk bluebonnets to bring me when she visits.)

Another errand over the weekend involved me finding a new pair of jeans. The ones I wore on Saturday were nearly falling off. That's a good thing in that my "operation make me over" year is working well. But it's bad in that during the time I was gaining over the last eleven months, I wasn't wearing jeans much once summer hit, so I skipped a size before I finally bought the ones that got me through the fall and winter.

And so now I have a great pair to see me through to the next size, of which I have plenty of clothes. I suspect it'll be another five or six weeks before I'm in them, but I'll get there.

My other errand involved looking for new shoes. I really need new running shoes (for walking, not running), so I tried some on at Breakaway--the local running store here in Midtown. They needed to get a couple of other pairs transferred from their other location, so I'll head back this week to try again. I'm also going to get some shoes for spinning or a new pair of cross-trainers. We'll see.

Ah---as for the things tackled here at home? My friend Susan was the great inspiration, so I'm tackling closets. (Thanks, Susan!) I got my pantry (which is huge) in tip-top shape as well as my linen closet. I still need to get the guest closet done to clear out space for my guests coming in less than two weeks.

I also attacked the moss that's grown on the brick patio in the back. I've tried this by spraying vinegar onto the moss. I think it's working, but I'll have to wait to be sure. I really need to get the moss gone as it sure does make it slick when wet. And if I can do this with something as natural as vinegar, I'll be doubly happy.

Anyway, it was a good weekend. Getting some sun on my head was nice, and I loved driving around and, for the first time this year, seeing the blooms of the redbuds. Yes, spring is just around the corner, and the weekend gave me the umph and rest I needed for writing motivation for the upcoming week. Not that nice weather should distract me too much. Oddly enough, even though it's spring break, we have the possibility of snow in the forecast for Tuesday. Wacky weather, indeed.

Reading Books

I’ve wanted to get back to reading for pleasure for some time. As the year began (which, for me, was when the semester began—after NYC), I started making it through my large stack of magazines that had been ignored over the summer and fall. And I was enjoying the reading. Of course, I still wasn’t back to where I wanted: enjoying books.

My first step had been reading a book for pleasure while traveling in Africa. It’d been so long since I’d done that, even choosing the book was difficult. (I blogged about that then.) But I did select a book, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, and it was wonderful! The story is a poignant look at a woman discovering who she is—and who she isn’t—in her late thirties. It’s funny, sad, heartfelt—all of what I wanted in a book then.

And so, beginning the year, I started reading my magazines (Body & Soul, Shape, Natural Health, and Fitness), giving me motivation for my “make me better” goals of the year, lifting my spirits with tales of success, and calming my soul with stories of peace and hope.

But I still wanted to get back to books. And just like that, I had my nudge: one of my girlfriend/colleagues whom I saw in NYC sent me and the other an email: let’s have a book club. She wanted us to read Wicked, primarily because that’s one of the shows we had all wanted to see on Broadway but were unable to. Of course, a book club with people when you live in states all across the US seems silly, but our plan was to discuss via an online chat. Technology—a helpful tool.

And so, I started reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire. First, I can say this is not a kid’s book! (It’s the story of “the life and times of the wicked witch of the west.” It tells about the wicked witch’s life before Dorothy. (Glinda’s in it too; turns out they were childhood friends.)) Oh no, though, not a children’s book. But it is fun.

Our first online chat, though, was hardly a success technology-wise. Alas, none of us was able to solve our tech issues either, but finally, Janet’s husband to the rescue: use his toll-free conference call system. Fabulous! And so, we all three call this toll-free number, put in a code, and we actually talk all together. It was great! First, we got to talk about the book, which is a little odd—especially if you’ve never read fantasy-type books before. (I was able to help the other two deal with this a little.) Also, of course, it was just great to talk to them both. We email regularly, but actually talking was nice.

Of course, the time set between our chats was too long for me. I read the first part much sooner than time for the first scheduled chat, and I realized I’d read it much too quickly for our time frame. Around the time I was figuring this out, I was in Target one day, saw a book, and bought it.

What? I can’t read two novels at once. That seemed ridiculous! You read one, finish it, then start another. That’s the way reading novels works! Who would be in the middle of two at once? Well, I would.

First, I needed another book to slow me down from reading Wicked too quickly. And second, I finally realized something: good grief, I watch and stay up with more than one tv show at a time. Why couldn’t I read two books at once?


It’s been great. The second book was The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The book is about a man from Afghanistan and the tale of his childhood—and its relation to his adulthood. I finished it last night, and it was a fabulous tale. I highly recommend the book.

I regularly cry at the movies—taken over with emotional and powerful scenes. But part of that is the visual impact of seeing someone’s emotions, the music in the background, the “whole thing.” I get that. But not this: while reading The Kite Runner, I actually cried. Now that’s a powerful story.

It’s been made into a movie, and I hope to see it soon.

But now I need another book. Or maybe I’ll finally get to a couple I have on my book shelf I haven’t read yet—I have one by Deepak Chopra I’ve been wanting to get to. I have, after all, another five weeks before we discuss part III of Wicked. ;-)

Happy Anniversary

Tonight marks ten years. This night, in 1998, I quit smoking. As a former carton-a-week smoker, that was quite a feat. But I did it, and I’ve refrained ever since.

Of course, I still dream about smoking, and I still inhale deeply sometime when someone nearby lights up. But I don’t light up myself. Even with the many stressful times I’ve encountered since, I’ve remained smoke-free. (I will admit, though, I still miss it, and if I were given but six months to live, I’d probably go buy a pack and enjoy them once again for those last six months. Yes, it’s that powerful a thing.)

Ten years ago, I chose this night because it was my gift for my heart. Maybe you don’t smoke. But maybe there is still a gift you can give your own heart. Exercise? Switching to whole grains? Forgiveness? Peace?

Whatever it is, I hope you honor your heart this Valentine’s night.

My Inversion

Finally, I did it! I did an inversion, getting my feet all the way up in the air.

Well, to be fair, I had some help . . . .

This one was a forearm stand. One day, it will look like this pose seen on the left. Essentially, you're on your forearms, palms down, head down but not touching. (This was the hardest part for me; my upper arms are quite short, I learned.) The idea is to be able to kick up and balance in the middle of the room.

We, though, started this at the wall. And I had to have a strap around my upper arms to keep them where they needed to be (my instructor is fabulous with props), and two fellow yogis caught my feet after I kicked up to give me a little helping hand up.

But I did it.

I balanced, I used a lot of shoulder strength, and I held my feet up overhead---in my inversion.

Why care about inversions? It gives you a whole new perspective, literally, and you can transfer that to your figurative view. Inversions also help you get "unstuck" from ruts or habits--getting you to that new, different place--that place we can transrom our hearts to be open, giving, yielding.

No, I didn't balance away from the wall, but we do, after all, call it a yoga practice.

Qualified!

The gym had posted new meter totals on the whiteboard, and when I got to my class tonight, I was just over 7000 away from my goal of 50,000 meters--to qualify for the regatta. I had just finished a box aerobics class, so I was pooped, but with the encouragement of my rowing class members tonight, I pushed my intensity and got to my goal. WooHoo! (I actually rowed 7995 meters in a thirty-eight minute class.)

Sure, I've met the goal of qualifying. But what this has really done for me is to help me focus on the intensity with which I row (while maintaining proper form). See, each rower has a computer attached that calculates your intensity (someone said it was measured as "meters per second.") When I began rowing, I was proud if I could get the number up to 3.25 or 3.30 during a hard push (an intensity drill). Now, though, I can maintain an intensity of 3.48 to 3.60 for quite some time, getting up above 4.00 in my intensity drills. And of that, I am proud. (My average tonight, for example, after doing the math, looks to be 3.51—including warm-up and cool down rowing.) Not only have I qualified for the regatta, as set out to do, but I have bettered my skill at this workout in a quantifiable way. Again, I say: WooHoo!

Super Duper

Headed off to vote on my way to work. It should be an exciting and interesting day.



In other news . . . I passed the half-way point for my regatta goal last night. Okay, so there won't be a problem qualifying. And who knows? If I keep at it, maybe I could swing a third place in this race. That prize is a one-hour massage. That'd be quite nice.

The Regatta is On!

Motivation, for me, is often key in accomplishing fitness goals. Sure, there's the incredible health benefits of begin fit: you move more easily (from less weight and better oxygen use in your lungs); you hurt less (from less weight on your joints and stronger muscles); you're simply stronger; you sleep more soundly; you're motivated to eat in a more healthy manner; and, of course, you usually extend your life to do all of those things for even longer. After all, I want to be a "Great Aunt" one day! Shoot, maybe I can even make it to be a Great Grand Aunt. Now that's a good aunt! ;-)

And so, when my gym announced a new motivation for working out, of course I signed up! It's the 2008 Winter Rowing Regatta. To participate, we pay a small fee, and to qualify, you must row 50,000 meters over the course of four weeks. People, that's a lot of meters! But I'm going to aim for it.

Sure, there will be winners in this race. And sure, the prizes are nice (three-month membership, I-Pod, massages), but my focus is multifaceted--challenge myself in this regatta to just qualify for it while also maintaining my personal fitness goals. And thus, although I could row every day, I will continue to spin three days per week. Spinning, you see, gives you a lot more bang for your buck in the calorie-burning department.


You might ask, if spinning is so great, why row at all? Well, the better approach, from all I can tell, is to mix it up. Consider also that spinning is a fantastic lower-body workout. But rowing targets your back too and is a fabulous core-strengthening work-out. (no, it's not about the arms, actually.) You do work your legs in rowing too, but not nearly as much as in spinning. I've managed to find this picture of a water rower so you can see this contraption I'll be spending more time with over the next four weeks.

On top of these things, though, it's important to get in some weight-bearing things. Thus, I've joined Marda's box-aerobics classes on Monday nights, and for the last two Saturdays, I've been learning to Zumba! It's sorta Latin-dance-styled aerobics. And it's fun!

But as for rowing, I also may very well be getting certified to teach rowing classes. The owner of my gym and I have talked about it, and she really wants me to be certified. I've told her that I don't even know how long I'll be living here---could be only until July, could be until July '09. That's still up in the air. (Ah---another benefit of fitness: you tend to handle stress a lot better. :-) ) Pushing myself to row in this regatta will help me better my form and endurance so I can be a better teacher for future classes. (could I use this certification elsewhere? Sure, but unfortunately, water rowers are still relatively new, so the market for instructors is relatively small.)

One other exciting thing with rowing more and with becoming an instructor, the folks at the gym are trying to find out more information on how we could row on the river. Now that's be fabulous!


Anyway, I've figured that if I can row three times per week, I can hit the 50,000 meter mark. Sunday is now my day off from the gym, though, so I'll be getting started on that tomorrow. I"ll let you know when I hit the half-way mark!

Bakasana

With my teacher's encouragement, I've started attending the Thursday night yoga class--the intermediate/advanced class--in addition to my weekly Tuesday night beginner class. True, I'm only on the intermediate side, and far from advanced, but the Thursday night class is bringing me fabulous new challenges.

It's also 90-minute class. With the extended time (Tuesday night is but one hour), we are able to really work on advanced poses. And for these last three weeks, we've been working on bakasana--an arm balance. It looks like this:

(and that's just the beginning of that pose--there's lots of advancements from there--such as straightening your arms.)

For me, I can get into the beginning of the pose, but it's as if my toes are glued to the mat. I just can't get my feet in the air. It's part fear; I am afraid of falling forward. (duh!) It's part strength; I've never had the greatest upper body strength. It's part flexibility; although I'm crazy-flexible in my hamstrings, I'm less so in my back. And, it might not be, but I have the current excuse that it's part my pants slipping off my shirt-sleeves; when it's warmer, and I'm not wearing long sleeves, that excuse will fly out the window. Of course, by then, I may have worked through those other things.

Still, it's been wonderful to challenge myself with this. My teacher knows I'm trying, and she's seen small steps forward. She's also amazing at showing us modifications to approach poses using props. So I'll keep trying--trying to open my heart just enough to lean forward, trying to have the faith in my own ability, and trying to find the yoga---the joining of my body, breath, mind, and spirit.

Time & Goals

I haven't disappeared; it's just been a very busy week.

Returning from New York late Saturday night, then beginning the spring semester Monday morning . . . all this has left very little time for much else. Well, that's not totally true. I am making sure to take time (most days) to hit the gym. That goes along with one of those pesky new year resolutions.

Resolutions. I usually don't make them. After all, should we wait until a special day to declare our intent to better ourselves or get something done? And what good is a resolution if it's the same every year?

But that makes me think of Valerie's newest commercial for whatever diet system she's been on this past year. In the commercial, she gets almost choked up when she says that this is the first year in so long that she is NOT making a resolution about her weight; she finally had it under control.

First, I have to wonder if Hillary (or an advisor) saw that commercial and connected to the emotion displayed by Valerie. Could that be what helped her show her New Hampshire emotion? Hmmmmm. Actually, I think what happened there is that she was sitting down, and she wasn't "on" like she is when standing up. Seriously--I do believe the sitting had a lot to do with her speaking more from the heart. (when I sit in front of my students, I tend to be more informal.) I think Hillary felt more connected to the audience and was able to be more personal. I don't fear her showing emotion would be bad should she actually win. After all, when she's "on," she's still "on."

But I digress. Resolutions. This year, I decided to do things differently. It all sorta started coming together on New Year's Day in New York.

I arrived and met Lisa at the airport. We cabbed it to the hotel then walked around the corner for a fabulous sandwich at Stage Deli---HUGE sandwiches, I must say. We went back to the hotel and chatted over a glass of wine, waiting for Janet's late flight in from the West Coast.

Janet finally arrived, but the hotel lobby area was closing, so we all headed up to my room to catch up more. Looking over the room service menu, tyring to select a wine, I noticed the champagne--not a big price difference for basic bottles compared to the wine. I suggested it, and they agreed. It was, after all, New Years!

As we toasted the year, someone mentioned, "I cannot believe it's 2008." And that's when it hit me: It's 2008! egads, this IS the year I turn 40. Yep, I said it: 40. That's when I also remembered goals I had for me, not so much at a new year, but at a new decade, a new era of life, a new beginning.

Are my goals resolutions or just goals? Does it really matter what I call them? I don't think so. But this is the year, then, I plan to be in my best shape ever. We hear over an over how it's all downhill from here, ;-) so I figured if I start that hill at a really great spot, I won't hit bottom quite as soon---or with quite as much of a "thump" . . . or something like that.

Professionally, I need to get two articles submitted for publication. There's that goal.

And domestically, I need to clear out things I don't need. I have an attic full of things, and the last thing I need to do is pay to move those things again. I cleaned out a lot last spring; there's more to come this spring.

In the meantime, I'm teaching two classes I've never taught, and one of those---I've never even taken! ( :-) please don't tell my students) And so, the preparation time going into those classes is quite consuming. A colleague told me not to kill myself on this class prep, but whether I'm here or not next year, I still, ethically, owe a duty to my students to do the best I can at teaching their class. And so, I will put in an insane amount of time each week pouring over the material, studying it, learning it, knowing it---all enough to be able to explain it.

My time will likewise be taken up for the next six or seven weeks working on scholarship---that is, all time available each week after I've prepped for class. Then I'll hit that again in earnest the second week of May.

What's left? Well, time is already carved out for the gym. And that goes back to the "It's 2008!" issue. Otherwise, I hope to have some Sunday afternoons for me--an occasional movie, taking Howard to the park, and today, if all goes well, watching a football game. But other than that, it's going to be a very busy spring.

In the meantime, I must get back to prepping for next week's classes. But for future posts: perfume and materialism. Ick. Nope, actually, double-ick.

Adios 2007

Ah, as I type, 2007 is creeping out the back door, making way for a new year: 2008.

The year in review? Gosh, it's been quite a year, indeed. I've heard, and wondered myself sometimes, about if how you ring in the year is indicative of the year to come. In my experience, there's some truth to that--in the same way, of course, we find truth to our horoscopes. ;-) But still, maybe I should have been forewarned that 2007 was going to be bumpy.

Last year, about five minutes before midnight, I was greeted by a friend of mine arriving at the party where I was . . . with my ex-boyfriend as her date. Whoa. Yes, that put a damper on my New Year's Eve. I'll admit, I didn't take learning this information gracefully ("Bamboozled" was the word I kept using, as I remember), and after she'd had ten-minutes' worth of daggers from my eyes, fortunately, they left the party. Still, I didn't ring in the year in a good mood. (Seriously? neither could have told me before hand? I have to learn five minutes before midnight on New Years Eve? (Okay, I have barely an hour more to be bitter, then I really have to finally let this go, I know.))

So, this year? Well, since moving here, I haven't gone on more than two or three dates with any one person, so the risk of a repeat is minimal. And I'm staying home tonight. With so much going on in NYC the rest of the week, there was no need for me to go out tonight. Sure, I will stay up to ring in midnight. (After all, I just painted my toenails, so I must stay up for them to dry. (No need to paint my fingernails, though, thanks to Santa! ;-) I got this great SeaCret stuff with a fabulous buffer--my nails are super shiny!) (Thanks, Santa!)

Anyway, yes, the year, in a whole, has been, well, bumpy. Don't get me wrong, it's been incredible in many ways. But even in those ways, there've been bumps.

I have finally stepped out of my safe-zone to take care of me. And as scary as that is, I have no regrets.

And wow: TWO trips to Africa!

I sold my house--with a nice profit.

I moved out of state for the first time.

I taught new classes.

I presented, for the first time in academia, to colleagues--FOUR times!

I taught a course to lawyers in Uganda.

I went scuba diving--off the coast of Zanzibar, in the Indian Ocean!

I took belly-dance lessons.

I (finally) bought a laptop.

I FINALLY bought my convertible! :-)

I moved into a 1926 house--with a basement! And stairs to the attic!

I put myself out there--really out there--for my job. No, I haven't landed a permanent spot yet, but I have taken a chance that was hard to take, and I'm proud of myself for taking. It might take another two or so years to finish search. But I've begun the search--and that, for me, has been big.

My life had grown very stale, very static. I needed more, and to get more, I had to take some steps--such as moving. For the most part, I've gotten a lot of support from others in making this move. And that's been nice.

There's more for me to come.

And 2008 is ringing in quite nicely. That should make for a nice year to come, don't you think?

And so, Happy New Year to all, and to all, a safe and fabulous year filled with love, peace, kindness, and warmth.

And We're Off!

Classes officially began yesterday. First doctrinal course for me to teach, and yep things went well!

My poor students, bless their hearts! (that's a true southerner thing to say. Well, a southerner and Texan thing. I've learned there's a difference. Sure, Texans, though, are southerners. But we're more; we're also Texan.) Anyway, my students have FOUR classes on Mondays. Bless their hearts! And I teach their last class of the day---at 2pm. After lunch. When those mixed carb/protein lunches are ripping at every bit of energy their bodies have just for digestion, making them sleepy. Heck. Bless my heart!

And like any new group of students with a new professor, they didn't know what to expect. Heck, I didn't know exactly what to expect. But it was great. I came right out of the gate, calling on a completely random student (I created a random number generator and through that, randomly ordered the students to determine an order in which to call on them initially), and it wasn't too long before a few more timidly raised hands appeared---beckoning to respond to a hypothetical question posed. As we got deeper in the discussion, even more people wanted to get involved. (I chose a book that uses a case in touch with students as the first case, which is used partly to show them how much they don't know about contract law and partly to engage them from day one.) Not that I didn't live up to my tough reputation; I called people out for having failed to complete parts of the first day assignment, but I called 'em out and moved on. Letting them know you mean what you say is vital, but picking on someone isn't part of that.

It's all about balance.

And so, I felt good about it. I even made my typical stupid jokes, which all got the expected chuckles and even some eye rolls, but I didn't sing. I'll wait for that one. ;-)

Today, although I don't have classes, was quite busy too. I met my research assistant, and she seems quite interested in my research project for her. And I had the new faculty benefits orientation. I realized, yes, in my fortieth year, I really need to get serious about retirement.

Prompted by that, I made a call to my money guy during the break, and we've agreed to talk in the next two weeks to see how far behind I am on my retirement goals. Ick. But I have to think: better late than never! (not that I've done nothing, but I've never had a plan. I have changed jobs and careers so much, with the in-between break of law school, that the goal of setting up a plan always seemed to get pushed back. Now I'm doing what I want to do---as a full career---and even if it's late in the game, it's time to really make a plan. Sure, I've got loans to deal with before a lot of that can be realized, but I feel good going in the right direction.)

I've also really gotten into a groove with the gym and walking Howard. He loves it; I love it. It's all good.

The Gift of Wellness

Satellite radio came with my car---with the initial sign-up fee paid and three months free. Listening to a station yesterday morning, called "Classic Rewind" (it plays classic rock songs not quite as old as the classic rock songs played on "Classic Vinyl"), I heard this: "Sure, you may be getting older, but you're becoming a classic."

:-)

Alrighty, then, as the day approaches that I'm closer to be coming a classic, it was absolutely time to get off my rear and find a gym. It'd been seven weeks since I worked out! Gasp! And yes, my zippers have not let me forget it.

And so, I found a nearby place, toured it, got the whole pitch, and signed up at Inside Out Gym. Why there? Well, first plus: it's oh-so-close to home (about a mile and a half). (Close to home is ideal for me; I prefer to work out in the mornings---after I walk Howard, and before I shower for work.) Second, the place doesn't charge extra for classes. (Seems that a lot of places try to nickel and dime just a little too much.) Also, the philosophy fits with me. Here's a line from the website: "We believe in total health and fitness (body, mind, and spirit), but we do it in an old fashioned way - with hard work." And although there was a joining fee (shouldn't that fee be waived for people new to town? I think so. Okay, so maybe I'm biased), I see the sign-up fee as my birthday gift to myself. (Okay, sure, it's not the only gift I'm enjoying this birthday week! ;-) ) Oh, and finally, it's not a "big box" kind of place; in fact, it was one of the owners who gave me my tour, and they work out there right along with everyone else. A noncorporate kind of place is my kind of place---I have usually found those folks care more about their clientele.

Tuesday morning was my first day back. With my different schedule, I get to use a gym that's relatively empty. But a downside exists---unless I want to be there at 6am (and I don't), I miss out most morning classes. Oh well. Still, I can catch yoga on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and there's a Pilates class on Wednesday evenings. They also do offer midmorning classes on Wednesdays an Fridays. I'll figure out what works for my schedule.




But the other cool thing is that they have rowers! I love the rowing machine! Seriously, I get quite tired of the treadmill and elliptical for my cardio, and I've never been one for the bike. But a rower! That can provide a great cardio workout and actually work the whole body---not just lower half. Love it! And they even have rowing classes (like spinning classes on bikes)----where everyone rows as a group, with the pace set by a trained instructor. I have my rower orientation scheduled for this Saturday. After that, I'm good for classes or to just row on my own. (and I'll eventually try a spinning class too.)

Naturally, it's quite a different clientele than my old Y. (I did check into the Y here, but the hours and classes were just not worth it for one that'd be about three times as far away as Inside Out. Plus, the rowers really won me over.) I didn't ask specifically, but best I can tell, Inside Out doesn't have child care. Remember, though, this area is heavily populated by single professionals. And I didn't notice a lot of retired folks. I am going to missed those retirees from the old Y.


I also went back Tuesday evening for a yoga class. It'd been so long since I'd practiced, but what a great class! I think I'm going to learn a lot more about positions with this class. And although I never thought I'd be able to do it, I actually got into an L-handstand yesterday. (It's a handstand but you bend at the waist so that your legs are perpendicular to your torso, and your feet are against the wall while you're standing on your hands, facing the wall. (I don't think I've ever, no, not even as a kid, done an actual full handstand. That wasn't my thing.)) Our teacher does a great job of leading you step-by-step into a new position, and I tried it. And I did it. I'm so excited for my practice! (Granted, something (the lunges, no doubt) aggravated my knee, and it fussed all evening. But it's better today. I'll watch those lunges next Tuesday.)


And so, another birthday gift to me was the gift of wellness.




But not just for me! Howard met his local vet yesterday morning. He needed the bordatella vaccine (I forgot to get Doc to update that one) so that he can go get social with some more pooches and we needed to establish a relationship with someone local---an Aggie, but of course!



I liked the clinic (Memphis Animal Clinic--my neighbors Cole & Michelle referred us there), and I liked Dr. Tower. The staff all seemed wonderfully friendly and attentive, and things seemed to run smoothly. They even have a groomer on staff, so Howard went back this morning for a much needed haircut.



Why the bordatella? Well, although my neighbor has already offered to take care of Howard and Sophie during all of my upcoming fall trips, just in case I do need to board Howard with little notice, he'd need that vaccine. And see, we still haven't found a fenced-in off-leash park. Best I can tell, Memphis lacks that. So Howard might just go a few times a month to, oh heavens, I cannot believe I'm going to do this, to doggie day care. I'll keep you posted on that one! :-)