Achoo! and Howard out to Pizza

Don't know what's blowing around here, but Howard and I are both sneezing, scratching our eyes, and generally not up to par. Sophie, at least, seems unaffected.

Still, I took care of some errands yesterday, buying some packing tape and several new pairs of shorts and a few other things for summer. Needed, for certain.

And Friday, Howard and I joined the neighbors for pizza out on Mud Island. I'd joined them for dinner there back in January, and even back then, Morgan, the daughter (age 8) asked if I'd go with them again and bring Howard. See, they have a great sidewalk area with tables and chairs, and people who live around there often walk their dog there and have dinner. I assured her that we could bring Howard back when it got warmer.

And so, we went. All five of us piled in the Beetle and headed to dinner. (By the way, the Beetle is now "Greta," My friend Susan names her cars, and I really like that idea. A name came to me with the Beetle, and I've tried to use another, but no other has seemed to fit And so, the Beetle is now "Greta." After I tried to figure out another then finally settled on the one that simply came to mind each time I thought about it, I looked up the name. It means "pearl." pretty good fit for a beige colored rounded car.)

Anyway, we enjoyed a great dinner, and Howard loved every minute of it---visiting with other customers, sniffing other dogs, and riding in Cole's lap there and back, top down, Howard way farther out the window than he ever gets to be when just riding with me. (Cole had a tight hold of the leash.)

We're really going to miss our neighbors. I was over there a few days ago, and Michelle asked again, "Now, when do you leave?" I said, "The week of June 23." Morgan flung herself a bit on her chair and whined, "Howard!" a bit mournfully. How sweet.

Anyway, more to get done today--organizing things out in the garage of what's gong to get packed, etc. I'll do the same in the attic; most everything is already packed up there, I just need to tape up and label some boxes. No reason to pay the packers to do what'll take me only a couple of hours.

And here's to hoping we suffer from fewer allergy issues in FL!

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 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!

MC: Fourth Film

I switched my weekend up yesterday, taking Saturday off with the intention to work today instead of focusing Saturday on work. After my rowing and Zumba classes (yes, Zumba--as seen on TV (sorta a salsa/aerobics class)), I spent the afternoon with another movie: Michael Clayton.

It was good. But it was thriller good--not Oscar good. It was not a lot different than FX's new series that I love, Damages, but frankly, I think Damages does a better job of handling the mystery needed for a good thriller. Michael Clayton, on the other hand, never hid anything from the viewer. (there was a very small bit at the end, but it was so small, and so short-lived, that it wasn't the "gotcha" moment in most thrillers.) Or maybe they planned for the opening scene to play out as a thriller throughout the movie. I could see that being a goal, but things were too obvious to me, perhaps. "Who done it" seemed quite obvious to me all along.

Or maybe this is not supposed to be a thriller at all. Maybe this is supposed to just say something about big business and big law firms? Maybe this is supposed to say something about the lengths people go to? Maybe I'm a cynic, but is any of that news? (Or maybe it's just because I know too many lawyers, and this will be news to a lot of people.)

So I will admit that I don't have enough knowledge about movies to understand why this was nominated. Well, perhaps, says the cynic in me, speaking up again, it has to do with someone who was owed a favor? I don't know. What I do know is that while this film was certainly good and enjoyable, it was far from the cinematic class of the other three nominees I've seen.

Speaking of those other movies, I can say that the night after watching There Will be Blood, I liked it even more. And the day after, the movie was even better. Odd--I needed distance from the film to like it so much. It is still an odd movie, but I do rate it higher now than just after seeing it.

As for Michael Clayton, yes, George Clooney did a good job. But again, it was nothing close to the acting of Daniel Day Lewis from There Will be Blood. Sure, Clooney's character is quite deep; we get to see many aspects of who he is: father, ex-husband, son, brother, attorney. But it still wasn't a performance that really struck me as extraordinary--to me, something needed to get that golden statue.

I have one more film left to see (Juno)to reach my goal of seeing all five Best Picture nominated films before next Sunday night. I'll let you know when I see it!

(As for that rowing class, I had my personal best class yesterday, rowing over 8,400 meters! I'm over 40,000 now, with two weeks to go. WooHoo! I'll surely meet my goal of qualifying at 50,000, and I've really improved the intensity with which I row, giving me a much better workout each class.)

Okay, making my intentions good, it's time for some work!

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.

Go Red!

Do laundry, and wash your red. Friday, Feburary 1 is National Wear Red Day.

But don't just stop there. Think about the cause--women's heart health. Take care of your own heart and be an example for the other women and girls in your life. The changes you make don't affect only you; you can inspire others to change, and you can set an example for others. You can also extend your own life to be around longer to share in others' lives.

• Eat healthy foods (whole grains, fresh fruits, etc.).
• Get some exercise (a short walk is better than sitting on the couch).
• Don't smoke (enough said).
• Know your numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rates, waist:hip ratio).

Do what you can to change the fact that heart disease is the number 1 killer of women in America. You have the power. :-)

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.

Oscar Quest I: No Country

Ahhhh . . . . January. This is typically the month we get all the Oscar buzz. (Okay, December, when all the movies that open in NY & LA, wanting to be in the run (aside from those rare ones released earlier in the year), starts the chatter, but the real talk gets going this month.) Of course, very often, it's the Golden Globe awards that really get the buzz going. But this year, with the writers' strike, we didn't have the big ta-doo for the Globes. Still, we had a winner for the categories, and that at least sets up a general idea of who's in the running.

For the last couple of years, I've made an effort to see the movies in contending for Best Picture. How else can I know what show I want to win if I haven't seen them all? And this year, I've started the quest. With my goals for the better me, though, I have to work hard to make sure everything can happen.

Friday afternoon at work, I was finishing up class prep for next week when a colleague who found himself without plans asked if I wanted to join him for a movie. Well, of course! Oooh---but I had a 5:30 spin class. He said that was no problem; the movie wasn't until 7:30.

Immediate mind calculations began: first, it was less than two hours until my spin class, so it was too late to cancel without incurring a $10 fee. Hmmmm. Do I blow off the class? NO! Do I decline the invitation. NO! But could I possibly go to a 5:30 spin class, shower, and make it to the movies by 7:20? (the actual time to meet) I decided I could---no, that I would do it. The race was on.

The spin class, I must say, was fabulous. By Friday, after working out all week, Friday's spin class these last two weeks has kicked my be-hind. But still, what a fabulous work out. We finished barely before 6:30, and I rushed home to shower. Rush, rush, ready, then I was off to downtown. All was great. And then I hit the parking garage. What I had not calculated was there being a basketball game downtown and that creating crazy parking.

One of my pet peeves is getting to the movies late. But my colleagues there were fine, I rushed to get a ticket, and got into the theater as the opening scene began.

What does this have to do with Oscar buzz and my quest to see the movies? Well, No Country for Old Men was the movie. It's a Coen Bros. film, but not their typical work. It's dark. It's violent. It was, though, pretty good.

And this was one of the movies up for best drama for the Golden Globes, so just maybe, it'll be up for an Oscar too.

Yes, it was good, but is it Oscar-worthy? Not having seen the other contenders, that's hard to say. I personally loved the nontraditional mode of story-telling that was used, even if one colleague felt cheated. See, what I enjoyed so much was seeing this type of movie with someone who wanted to talk about it--from an intellectual and movie-appreciation standpoint, afterwards. After the movie, we grabbed a beer at the nearby pub (me, sticking to light beer, of course), and dissected the flick. Our takes on the symbolism of the closing parts was interesting to share--especially right after seeing the movie.

(Spoiler Alert! (if you don't want insight into things about the movie, skip to next paragraph)) How did my friend feel cheated? Well, the movie has so much violence throughout, that at the end, we didn't have the traditional big confrontational scene. Instead, the big confrontation you expect occurs in a very different manner, and that's even mostly off screen. For me, though, the best confrontation comes with the leading character's wife, and it's purely intellectual; you must deduce what happened by the psychopath's behavior when he leaves her house (which one colleague missed) as he checked the bottom of his boots for blood.

It was certainly entertaining, in a dark sense. And in no way did I feel like I too freely gave away two hours of my time; they were well spent. Where it stacks up against other movies of the year, though, well, that remains to be seen. I'll keep you posted.

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.

Yellow, Orange, and Red---Oh My!

Whether due to the early fall rains or whatever, the fall colors here are more beautiful than I've ever seen in person--ever. Sure, Fort Worth had a patch or two of color, but here, it's so much more. My crepe myrtles alone were so much more fabulous than I'd ever seen in North Texas. And the dogwoods---Wow! Such deep reds. Every day that I drive down any road, I'm amazed at the beauty of the colors.

I'm used to, if we were lucky enough to get fall color, seeing some yellow and maybe a couple of trees with a hint of more. But here---oh my! The brilliant oranges catch my breath each day. And the brightness of the yellows is unlike any I've ever seen. Add to that the incredible depth of the reds, and well, what a palette.

Of course, with the beauty, comes work. I've filled a couple of bags each of the last two weeks with leaves--and that's even with me using the mower to mulch those leaves on the yard. My neighbors say we've got another eight rakes' worth in store for us. At least it's a chance to get outside and enjoy. (But I did take down the phone number of the boys who stopped by today asking to rake my yard; these kids know how to make money. What is, by the way, the going rate on yard raking?)

I have taken a few photos, which I'll post soon. But the true beauty is hard to capture; I don't have a spot where I can snap a shot from up above. I only wish I could see Overton Park right now from high up. How gorgeous it must be.


Still no word on Africa. (I'm supposed to leave on the 30th, but in the last ten days, we've gotten no response on our inquiry as to confirmation on our tickets. I fear their justice dept did not get funding to cover the trip.) It's hard; I am completely ovewhelmed with what's got to be done otherwise in the next couple of months, but it's hard to tend to thinking I'm leaving the country for so long in less than two weeks. I know: the biggest challenge I have is just to breathe. Somehow everything else will work itself out.

With everything, I am trying to keep up a workout schedule at the gym. Lately, though, my hip has been much worse. How did, after all, those many pieces of broken glass get into my joint? ;-) And I cannot remember a day in the last few months that my back didn't send pains down my side or leg. On the up side, I've lived with chronic pain for ten years now, so it's just another day, right? It just hampers the gym motivation (even when I know that proper exercise actually helps me feel better---which more often than not, is what gets me there, after all.)

Inside Out and On Over to the Middle East

Whew! So indeed, yes, I do love my new gym. And with things planned in the afternoons, I've even started attending the 6am spinning class twice a week! what??

Back up---First of all, yes, I did the spinning orientation, and I knew: this was a workout I needed! It was the most challenging thing I've tried in a long time, and I also knew it'd be great to build up some leg strength. And so I started attending classes.

Now, being new, it kicked my hiney. The first class, I thought my heart was going to burst from my chest after eight minutes. But I remembered the advice I got in orientation about taking it at my pace, and I remembered how much I loved the challenge of interval training on the treadmill and really pushing myself on inclines with intervals, and I stuck through the class. Granted, I did only twenty-second spurts of "jogs" and "climbs" and "jumps," while the rest of the class could do those things for an entire three, four, even five minutes. But I was on my way.

And today, I finally made it through an entire class in which I did everything everyone else did! WooHoo!! :-) It is all a matter of trying a little at a time, pushing yourself just a little more each time, and keeping moving forward.

I've also found a great rowing class on Sunday mornings. Granted, I miss part of George (heavens no---not "W." George Stephanloaoiaoeriaoefalekjrlke. okay---you try to spell his name. ;-) ) But the guy who regularly teaches the Sunday morning rowing class actually uses the beat of the music. I love that in a class. My Thursday 6am spinning instructor does the same. Sadly, though, most of the other instructors just use the tempo of a song as a general guideline. But seriously, as a former drum major, it's all about staying on beat!

But Monday nights I get to find the beat of the music---just very different music. See, I'm finally taking a dance class I've wanted to take for so long---Middle Eastern Dance! Okay, okay, yes, most people call it Belly Dancing. :-) It's a blast! And yes, all those hip movements are horrendous on my back. Indeed---my discs that are sticking out of the spinal column do not like the hip shimmies. But so far the pain isn't debilitating, so I'll stick it out for now. I also plan to check into some spinal decompression. For now, I'm just gathering information.

Otherwise, I still love my yoga instructor and that Tuesday night class. She even has researched my back and hip issues to help me learn when I need to use props and make modifications, Of course, pain usually tells me that. :-) I've learned I cannot do the preparatory pose for side plank on one side, but fortunately, I already know how to do side plank in the full pose, so I can skip preparatory and move on into plank. And with forward bends, I know now (thanks to my instructor) to not dive too quickly down, but with my insane stretch in my hamstrings, I can still get all the way into the pose. Will I achieve a head- or handstand? We'll see. We keep working on preparatory poses in my Tuesday night class. And both of those are things I'd like to be able to do one day. But for now, I'm loving what I get from the strengthening and stretching and focus of each pose and each class.

Movies, Cheeks - - - and Pies?

I mentioned several movies I'd like to see, and I had hoped to see one this weekend, but alas, that didn't happen. Sometime around midnight Saturday night, the soft tissue between my jawbone and both (surprisingly this time; it's usually only on one side of the body) cheekbones began to grown---swelling for no apparent reason. The discomfort and some pain associated kept me up until after 3, sending me also reaching for various antihistamines I had in the house. I finally got to sleep, but I wasn't "right" for the next thirty-six hours or so. (Sure, most resources I consult say antihistamines don't have a great impact, but each time I've been in the ER with this, they inject me (once, via an IV) with benadryl, and symptoms subside.)

Ergo, with my exhaustion and antihistamine fog (and uncomfortable cheek area for a day or two), I wasn't up for a movie in a theater. No doubt it would not have been a pretty sight had I encountered someone not observing proper movie theater etiquette; my patience was a little thin. ;-)

(Yes, I've had more problems lately with the angioedema. No doubt, that's been because of my stress over the move, the brand new (and different) teaching, and the upcoming recruitment season (which every few days has me completely nauseated), adding to that probably new allergens weakening my defenses, and the stress over this brand new part of my career, and the move, and the recruitment. . . did I mention the stress? ;-) ). A couple of weeks ago I thought the pain in my upper ab area could only mean a terrible thing with my spleen---until I remembered the angioedema can cause swelling of internal organ areas. Um Hmm. Not pleasant. But still manageable, and I have two--- count 'em, two---epipens for just in case, and I'm less than two miles from the nearest hospital. I also have my neighbors on speed dial. (she's getting her PhD in nursing.)

(What, you ask, am I talking about? Angioedema is, ahem, let's call it a character-building condition. (life, after all, is better when your glass is half full, yes?) It's one in which, for no apparent reason, and with little notice, something swells. Maybe it'll be a finger (causing me to have a ring cut off my finger in high school), or maybe it's your bottom lip (causing my grandmother one Thanksgiving to ask who had punched me), or maybe it's patches of skin on your scalp (and who said being a law student wasn't a hair-raising experience?), or maybe it's inside of you somewhere around the area of your spleen. Most often with me, it's an eyelid. And usually just one. Maybe throw in half a lip. Oh yes, that'll build some character. It gets scary when it's been my the inside of my throat, but it's always been only half of my throat. even still, yes, that has sent me to the ER several times. Good times. ;-) And yes, stress aggravates the condition. My worst bouts were the spring during which I applied to law school, bought a house, and quit my job; during law school; and now, this summer.

I think I need to learn to meditate. :-)

Or at least I'll try to pick up an extra yoga class.

Yoga, by the way, is going splendidly. I really like this instructor's approach. We work on something specific each week. Tonight was deep breathing. And I moved another step closer to a headstand.

Anyway, what I *did* do on Sunday afternoon (after heading out to the 'burbs for a trip to Petsmart) was to get a movie from Blockbuster--recommended by dear Mom. Yes, she's still got that pesky screw in her ankle, the surgery to remove it has been postponed repeatedly. And through the summer, she's been able to (had to?) watch a LOT of movies. One of those was Elizabethtown.

It was a cute movie, but the main reason Mom mentioned it to me was its reference to Memphis. In part of the movie, one character takes a road trip that was choreographed and planned by the other main character. And she leads him through Memphis.

While here, she said he had to stop at one particular place, and Mom even wrote down the name of it to tell me where I just had to go.


(Yes, I've now been to this place where I just had to go; I'll post about that in a couple of days. Going there prompted me to watch another movie, and this one I highly recommend: Black Snake Moan (but it's not for the faint-hearted). It too was filmed on location at this particular place Mom sent me. No, Black Snake Moan didn't mention the place by name the way that Elizabethtown did, and it's a much darker movie, but it's one worth watching. Having watched that one, now I've put Hustle and Flow on my list---same director, and both were filmed in Memphis.)

Anyway, another place highlighted was the Lorraine Motel---now the National Civil Rights Museum. It was already on my list, but just glimpsing what the exhibits look like through the movie, it's moved way up higher on the list. Besides, I am sure it's going to be crazy-busy next spring, with it being the 4oth anniversary since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was shot---at that motel.

Other than that, classes are going well. I still have lots to do to get ready for my speaking engagement next weekend, so I'll be busy for the next ten or so days.

Ah---but in the middle of everything else, it was finally time to honor my bargain and make a pie. See, when looking at my house, and upon noting the almost zero counter space in the kitchen, I (trying, naturally, to be positive) mentioned that the counter was, after all, big enough to roll a pie crust out on. My leasing agent's eyes grew, and she said, "You make pies?" We then got into quite a conversation about pies, and as we continued to walk through the house, and I kept pointing out things that needed to be done, she said, "If I get all of these things done, then you'll make me a peach pie?" I agreed.

Now, this has made a beautiful hypo for my contracts students. I've played with the words in several ways and have already planned several more. And regardless if it's actually a contract, it was a promise, and whether or not legally enforceable, I had a moral obligation.

And so yesterday, I baked my first peach pie, and I delivered it this morning. Upon doing so, my leasing agent offered to get an electrician out to fix the antique light fixture in the living room that won't work. (It's not a necessary light; it's one of five candle-like fixtures on the wall, and I also have an overhead light and a lamp.) And so, yes, keeping your moral obligations---those social promises---isn't just good for the soul, it might result in more coming your way. The way I usually see it---keep the balance of good karma points always on the plus side. :-)

Look for another post soon regarding that special place in Memphis I've visited. And in the meantime, here's a pic of Sophie in what's become one of her favorite spots:

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! :-)