Last week I decided to try and get back in to shape...again...and thought I should go gently with a little light yoga to start. I have been paying for my gym membership for years now and only go probably 20% of the year which is really bad but apparently very common. It was time to make use of it.
I got to class at the gym dressed in stretchy pants and sports bra ready to go. Standing amongst a large group of ladies, ranging in age and shapes and one brave man I thought I did not look too bad considering my couch potato habits of the winter.
We selected mats...well I got 2 of the thin mats then another thicker mat to put underneath those. No point in killing my knees on that wooden floor now was there! In fact I caused quite a stir as several of the ladies smacked their foreheads for not thinking of it last time they were there and suffering. Brain points already! I headed to the back of the class, not sure if this was to hide or to not have to see myself that close up in the mirror.
The teacher bounced in and asked if there was anyone new to yoga, there wasn't...was there anyone new to her class...three of us raised our hands. Okay she said with what seemed like a gleaming eye to me.
It all began just fine, we breathed deep..I was good at that, we stretched our arms upward...again not a problem and gently came back to center....I was good!
After this initial false sense of security the next 30 minutes passed by slowly. We were up, we were down, we all had our bums in the air, we were all stretched to the limits. As I watched most of the others glide smoothly from pose to pose I had to wonder how they did it. At best I could move heavily with very unladylike grunts and wobble while completely off balance. At one point a tiny elderly lady who was as big as a tooth pick stood on one with the other leg held straight out to the side while grasping her toe! (I had such an urge to push her over!)
With relief we were through the exercise and time to meditate. With us all lying on the floor with our eyes closed the instructor came around and held her lavender soaked hands over our noses then rubbed our temples and scalp.....what the hell!!! The lady next to me...another newbie... sounded like she had nodded off for a while. (She had found it even harder than I did and when she stood she was covered in sweat with her hair standing up and looking completely confused...unless that was the lavender)!
I did leave feeling good though, the next day I could feel where I had moved making me think how pathetic I was, I had not run a marathon, only stretched for a little while. Will I go again...I think I will. I don't think I will ever be like the tooth pick lady but at least I can aim for better than a tree trunk!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Words 101
Last weekend I was working at a volunteer job at for the High School. Many choirs from around the area were part of a contest. I was assigned to sell concessions to the teenagers and parents who attended the event.
I did listen to some of the choirs and was impressed by the wonderful diction as they sang. Each work was enunciated clearly, even when sang in a foreign language.
Fast forward 20 minutes to the concession area. Who are these people! Now I know that coming from England I already have a little bit of a hang up where the English language is concerned and is often loosely used here in the States. I too can be a little lax with it at times but the words that came to my ears made me want to scream.
"What kind of soda you got?" asked one, "where are the bathrooms at?" asked another.
Perhaps even worse than this was the young lady who asked for an item and then finding she didn't have enough money say, "oh jk". I later found out she meant "just kidding". Now I know in this time of phone texting this is the way to communicate, I have even been known to type some of the short cuts in to my phone myself, well if the few I know and some I seem to make up, but to now have to deal with it in the spoken word....you have got to be kidding! I can only imagine these people later at a job interview talking in text.
I also received the usual "oh, you have an accent" to which I usually reply, "oh, so do you." I had one young man say how much he liked to use the word "bollocks" because it was such a fun word to say. I asked if he knew what he meant, he said no.
Now I try to be patient, I try to be understanding but this just drives me crazy. I understand that each culture has it's little quirks in language but come on GMAB! (Give me a break.)
I did listen to some of the choirs and was impressed by the wonderful diction as they sang. Each work was enunciated clearly, even when sang in a foreign language.
Fast forward 20 minutes to the concession area. Who are these people! Now I know that coming from England I already have a little bit of a hang up where the English language is concerned and is often loosely used here in the States. I too can be a little lax with it at times but the words that came to my ears made me want to scream.
"What kind of soda you got?" asked one, "where are the bathrooms at?" asked another.
Perhaps even worse than this was the young lady who asked for an item and then finding she didn't have enough money say, "oh jk". I later found out she meant "just kidding". Now I know in this time of phone texting this is the way to communicate, I have even been known to type some of the short cuts in to my phone myself, well if the few I know and some I seem to make up, but to now have to deal with it in the spoken word....you have got to be kidding! I can only imagine these people later at a job interview talking in text.
I also received the usual "oh, you have an accent" to which I usually reply, "oh, so do you." I had one young man say how much he liked to use the word "bollocks" because it was such a fun word to say. I asked if he knew what he meant, he said no.
Now I try to be patient, I try to be understanding but this just drives me crazy. I understand that each culture has it's little quirks in language but come on GMAB! (Give me a break.)
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
It's been a year!
Okay, so I am not very good at blogging, maybe I will do better this year, no promises but I will give it a go as I feel I would enjoy it! I did plan to start up again a couple of weeks ago but then I could not remember how to log back in here, what was my username or password for this blog...I didn't know.
Passwords and usernames must now need their own area of the brain in order to be albe to remember them all. We are told, don't let anyone know your password and username, make sure it is not easy for some one, or something, to figure it out and change it often like your underwear in case you get run over by a bus.
I just have so much whirling around in my little head that I need to find an outlet not to mention the things I see that I think I could write about.
I guess my other challenge is to get people to read it, last time I only sent the link to Viv as I was unsure that people would want to read what I had to say, again the wonders of technology will allow you to opt out of reading my blog so off I go.
Stayed tuned...if you dare!
Passwords and usernames must now need their own area of the brain in order to be albe to remember them all. We are told, don't let anyone know your password and username, make sure it is not easy for some one, or something, to figure it out and change it often like your underwear in case you get run over by a bus.
I just have so much whirling around in my little head that I need to find an outlet not to mention the things I see that I think I could write about.
I guess my other challenge is to get people to read it, last time I only sent the link to Viv as I was unsure that people would want to read what I had to say, again the wonders of technology will allow you to opt out of reading my blog so off I go.
Stayed tuned...if you dare!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Facing Forty
When I hit 30 I wasn't too thrilled, in fact, it was down right depressing. Now, ten years later, here I am again at one of those special decade markers and I am glad to say that I don't care so much. It does bother me that yet again the last ten years flew by but other than that I am up for it.
I recently read a book for book club in which a woman turns forty and finds herself disappearing. (Not a good book so I wont recommend it.) The woman is unhappy, lives her life through others around her and becomes invisible to everyone including herself. A few years ago a friend also mentioned this phenomenon when she was lying on a beach and someone literally tripped over her unaware of her presence.
Now maybe we do lose some of the head turning moments and visibility to others but I am finding that I have never been more confident that I am today. With forty years of experience I have learned to push myself forward more and believe in myself a little more. I know more what I want and that most of it is attainable if I try hard enough. I have learned to put things in perspective and to not sweat the small stuff.
This isn't to say that I am happy with the increasing wrinkles, grey hair and few extra pounds but I think a little wisdom of what life is about is a definate plus. They say life begins at forty so I say bring it on!
I recently read a book for book club in which a woman turns forty and finds herself disappearing. (Not a good book so I wont recommend it.) The woman is unhappy, lives her life through others around her and becomes invisible to everyone including herself. A few years ago a friend also mentioned this phenomenon when she was lying on a beach and someone literally tripped over her unaware of her presence.
Now maybe we do lose some of the head turning moments and visibility to others but I am finding that I have never been more confident that I am today. With forty years of experience I have learned to push myself forward more and believe in myself a little more. I know more what I want and that most of it is attainable if I try hard enough. I have learned to put things in perspective and to not sweat the small stuff.
This isn't to say that I am happy with the increasing wrinkles, grey hair and few extra pounds but I think a little wisdom of what life is about is a definate plus. They say life begins at forty so I say bring it on!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Bah Humbug
Each year I seem to dread this season more and more, and I really don't have a particular reason but I am already beginning to crack.
First there's the shopping, that eternal fight at the shops trying to find the perfect gifts. I went out last Saturday early in the morning telling myself I had a bucket load of patience but it soon began to wane. Shop after shop I looked at isles of gift wrapped rubbish trying to get me to buy it until I could take it no more. The one item I actually had on my list, a wii (shhh it's a secret) is completely impossible to find. After asking at one particular store a store clerk spoke out of the side of her mouth the fact that they were expecting some on Sunday, ready to sell at 6 a.m. I had to wonder how many others she had given heads up to. I didn't get up early to go that Sunday and did stop by to ask how many they had got. I was told they had 21 in but by 10pm the previous evening at least 18 people were already in line. Luckily, Ayden has made the comment that he would be happy to take an IOU and it looks like he will get it. Other than that I bought the usual stress chosen gift which no doubt will be wrong but I am now passed caring.
Then there's the decorating, that pointless operation that results in glittery clutter that gets on my nerves within 2 days. We are just about the only house in the neighborhood without lights up outside and frankly, I don't care. I asked Mark if we should put some up and he gave a shrug of the shoulders so I went with that. Inside, we decided not to put up our fake tree. We have had it for many years and it is a pain to put together. It's about 8 foot and each branch is individually placed in ever decreasing circles while following a complicated color coded pattern. Of course the paint has rubbed off on a few, or the makers of the tree were having a laugh, so each year it's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with a couple too many edges. So we decided to get a real one, problem.....it's been raining just about everyday so as we don't want to put a wet tree up in the living room so we still don't have one. We may get it tonight and see if we can find a dry one, I am already dreading the foraging into the lights to find a string that works and of my cat's reaction which I am guessing will be glee.
With only two of my stresses mentioned I will post again later as the thought of it all is making my hyperventilate!
First there's the shopping, that eternal fight at the shops trying to find the perfect gifts. I went out last Saturday early in the morning telling myself I had a bucket load of patience but it soon began to wane. Shop after shop I looked at isles of gift wrapped rubbish trying to get me to buy it until I could take it no more. The one item I actually had on my list, a wii (shhh it's a secret) is completely impossible to find. After asking at one particular store a store clerk spoke out of the side of her mouth the fact that they were expecting some on Sunday, ready to sell at 6 a.m. I had to wonder how many others she had given heads up to. I didn't get up early to go that Sunday and did stop by to ask how many they had got. I was told they had 21 in but by 10pm the previous evening at least 18 people were already in line. Luckily, Ayden has made the comment that he would be happy to take an IOU and it looks like he will get it. Other than that I bought the usual stress chosen gift which no doubt will be wrong but I am now passed caring.
Then there's the decorating, that pointless operation that results in glittery clutter that gets on my nerves within 2 days. We are just about the only house in the neighborhood without lights up outside and frankly, I don't care. I asked Mark if we should put some up and he gave a shrug of the shoulders so I went with that. Inside, we decided not to put up our fake tree. We have had it for many years and it is a pain to put together. It's about 8 foot and each branch is individually placed in ever decreasing circles while following a complicated color coded pattern. Of course the paint has rubbed off on a few, or the makers of the tree were having a laugh, so each year it's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with a couple too many edges. So we decided to get a real one, problem.....it's been raining just about everyday so as we don't want to put a wet tree up in the living room so we still don't have one. We may get it tonight and see if we can find a dry one, I am already dreading the foraging into the lights to find a string that works and of my cat's reaction which I am guessing will be glee.
With only two of my stresses mentioned I will post again later as the thought of it all is making my hyperventilate!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Halloween
Tomorrow is Halloween. A day that celebrates candy. We still have left over candy in the drawer from last year, the same stuff that usually gets left that noone wants except Ayden who could support the candy makers of the world single handed if only I would let him.
The halloween costume was a tough to find this year. I remember when he was little and I got to choose the adorable pumpkin, the dragon and the pirate. Even when he chose to be a vampire and Darth Maul it was still fun as I got to paint his face, although the panic over whether his face would be permanantly red was not so fun. This year he just couldn't decide, it just had to be something gross.
After what seemed like hours in the costume shop with Ayden delighting in all that was creepy while I cringed and tried to not look too close, (partly from fear of the icky, partly from shock at how much they charge for a little bit of plastic and nylon) he finally settled on a mask that had blood pouring down when you squeezed something and a large axe. When paired with the black cloak from last year he will be set to scare all the little kids in the neighborhood.
Last year he graduated from the little cute bucket to collect candy to the biggest pillow case he can find in the linen closet, he's not dumb! Hopefully he won't get a hernia as he carries his booty home.
I suppose I am glad he still wants to take part, Amy decided years ago that she was too old to dress up and would rather pass out the candy instead. Mind you, she will be quick to look at Ayden's takings.
I still need to get the candy for tomorrow to pass out. The dilema is whether to get stuff I like, in case we are left with any, or to go for stuff I don't so I won't be tempted with it. One year I the neighbor and I ate so much before the first door bell ring that we felt sick.
So I'm almost ready, bring on the sugar rush.
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