Off to the Races

    2011 has been a good year; I've been running as much as I can work into my schedule, and the dogs are almost always at my side. According to the awesome iPod Nano that Mom gave me for my 2010 birthday, I had run 169 miles by the end of 2011 (and I started using Nike+ in February, so that's 11 months' worth).

   None of the miles have come close to my personal bests (as fast at 6'34"!), as I'm trying to overcome the hip injuries I sustained in summer 2010—and so far, successfully avoiding surgery, with little pain! My ankle, however, which I injured approximately 25 years ago, is another story. But I'm thrilled that I have *finally* been diagnosed—which *only* took THREE specialists! And the orthopedic surgeon feels sure that removing a ganglion cyst from deep in my ankle joint will do the trick. (Unless tendon or ligament damage is discovered while they're in there—stitching those up would make the recovery in the 18-week range. Ugh.)
   So I'm excited to go under the knife this Wednesday morning. If this works, I can do more running, more yoga, more swimming... all of the stuff that bothers my ankle when I overdo it. Here's hoping I'll have a speedy recovery—and be even speedier afterward!

A Very Britten Christmas

   Britten's annual birthday/Christmas party was tonight, and she outdid herself by whipping up about 1000 different incredible homemade appetizers on the spot. My favorites may have been the bacon-wrapped baked potatoes with spicy peanut sauce...

   I learned how to make potato latkes and got to pitch in. Chocolate croissants, hot brie toasts, crab puffs, artichoke dip, fontina-stuffed mushrooms, mango salsa, homemade flour de sel caramels, sangria, wine, mead... I think I consumed at least 18,000 calories! She and Rich are great hosts and we had a blast. (Rich was in rare form, wearing his Santa hat and cracking me up with crazy cop stories.) 

   Maybe next time we'll try out her birthday gift from one of her students: yogarrific gingerbread cookies!

   Actually, this baker's site where the cookie cutters can be purchased is very cool, too. Love this dog cake!

Apres-yoga

   I must have looked really, REALLY hungry to the guy at Maui Express, because he gave me about 10 pounds of teriyaki chicken & veggies! Note to self: walk in 5 minutes before closing, and looking weary & pathetic after yoga, more often!

Sleepy Saturday Night

   We all relaxed tonight after our busy day. Gypsy seemed to be inspired by my talk of yoga practice; but I'm not sure if she's doing half pigeon, full pigeon, or "I ate the pigeon"!

   Aki rubbed her eyes and said, "But I don't wanna go to bed—I'm not tired, Mom!"

   Mr. Tay is very much enjoying the super-soft and luxurious new bed that his bestest buddy Mary Ann gave him for his birthday. (When Aki isn't hogging it, that is.) He sinks in so much that he looks like a potato, without any legs!   Zzz...

Sunrise Surprises

   I got moving early this morning for an intense Vinyassa class at Darling Yoga. It was my last day for the Groupon, and I wanted to make it count. As I signed in at the desk, I noticed the name before me was a woman named Sawako... Not your standard name in the Midwest! I went into the studio, laid out my mat and started stretching. Two women came in and set up across from me.
   One said, "What is it again?" And her friend answered, "Kon-ni-chi-wa." They went back and forth until the first woman pronounced it correctly. (Well, almost correctly!)
   I finally got up the nerve to say「おはようございます!」
   The Japanese woman, Sawako, did a double-take. 「ああ！日本語が話せます？」
 「はい、でも少しだけ出来ますよ。」
   She looked shocked. She complimented me on my speaking and pronunciation, to which I demurred. I haven't practiced in over 3 years! Her friend jumped in, "She just moved here from Japan with her husband five months ago."
   We talked for a few more minutes, until Emily came in to lead the class. I couldn't wait to talk to Sawako some more. After 90 minutes of challenging yoga that included half moon, reversed half moon, crow, handstands and more, we finally got to meet out in the lobby.
   Sawako lived her whole life in Okinawa, which has a climate like Hawaii. She has seen snow, but never lived in a cold and snowy place. I told her about the climate, and not to believe anyone who said that Kansas City has nothing to do. I told her about some of my favorite things, including One Bite Japanese Grill, for when she has a craving for home-cooking and authentic okonomiyaki. She said she needed to practice her English, since in middle school she was taught British English, and in high school, American English. She still finds the accents confusing, though it was hard to believe considering how well she spoke. I told her I'd love to have someone to practice Japanese with too. I gave her my business card and sincerely hope that she'll get in touch. I so enjoyed talking with her!
   When I returned home, I found Bob, my next-door neighbor, mowing and mulching my front yard. I love my neighbors!!!
   It was a gorgeous day, and I was hoping for a good one. I went to pick up Atom from the vet at noon, to find out if the IV fluid treatments kicked his kidneys back in gear. Before I knew Atom was sick, Kelly and I had planned to take the pups up to Weston today for a beautiful fall hike. Today seemed too perfect and gorgeous for bad news, so I was counting on Atom to pull through...

   And so was his best buddy, Gypsy. She's been missing him ever since I dropped him at the vet yesterday morning... And following me around, clinging to me, meowing and purring incessantly. I can't sit down without her muscle-ing into my lap, even if I playfully hold her back. I could tell she would be so happy when Lil' Attie returned!

Bound Tiger

   I took another restorative yoga class tonight. It is awesome. I've never taken "relaxing" yoga before, nor have I used props, so it's very different. Tonight we did a couple of poses using bolsters and straps in which our knees or legs were bound for up to 15 minutes. The straps keep your body in good form, and help increase the intensity of the poses.
   At first it felt strange, almost like I wanted to fight against it to escape. As the poses continued, I learned to find peace in the tension and let go, which in turn made it comfortable, and I felt like I could stay there and relax forever. It's an interesting lesson. I need to figure out how to apply this to work. I feel like I've been fighting against impossible odds for a year and a half, and I need to learn how to lean into the tension and use it to my advantage...

Ambush

   Tonight I was in my yoga practice, which is generally a relaxing treat. But as we flowed from downward dog into plank, then lowered to crocodile, with my face just inches from the floor, I saw a spider coming right for me. We were hovering low, arms quivering from the weight of our ow bodies, waiting to be instructed to lower and flow into cobra.

   Not wanting to break from the pose, I blew at the spider a couple of times. (Which probably made the class think I didn't understand the concept of ujjayi breathing!) It didn't even pause—completely undeterred, it continued to stalk my face. As it approached the edge of my mat, I finally wimpered, "Spider!" and everyone in the class laughed. I blew—hard—a few more times, then Britten came over and scooped him up, safely delivering him to the edge of the room.

Britten: my yoga instructor and my hero.

One Hundred Thirteen

   This is the actual outdoor temperature in the OP. And the gym was equally hot for tonight's yoga: the AC is broken. No escape! Since I was sweaty anyway, I started my training for Race for the Cure (which is in just 12 days) and took a quick 2 mile run with the dogs after dark. They didn't like it, but I felt remarkably good!

Downward Facing Cat

   I guess by now Gypsy knows that Tuesday night is always yoga night, because I just caught her in the middle of her practice. If she masters Eight Angle Pose before me, I'm going to be super pissed!

   Britten announced tonight that she is taking over the Thursday night class as well, so my dream from the last 2+ years has finally come true. Yoga is a perfect counter-balance for running and the stresses at work (or anywhere else). And that's not to mention Britten's humor.
   Tonight, though, I was cracking up because there was a woman in the class who kept sighing, and it sounded very cat-like. And a guy who looks a lot like Joey Chestnut, the hot dog eating champ who protected his U.S. title yesterday, though たけるこばやし (Takeru Kobayashi) has beaten his record overseas. Anyway, I can tell you with absolute certainty that balancing on your hands while snickering is much harder than it looks.

Moment of Un-Zen

   There was a guy in tonight’s yoga class, kind of caddy-corner/behind me who was wearing jeans. I expected him to pull off his jeans, revealing shorts underneath, but no: he intended to do yoga in jeans. Whatevs, I thought. Good luck with that! But when we were all in downward dog 20 minutes later and his phone in his back pocket vibrated, and he REPLIED TO A TEXT while still sorta upside-down, I got a little irritated. Dude, you’re missing the point of yoga. He wasn’t even trying a little bit.
   Britten, in her usual, low-key way, waited until the class was about halfway over, and when we were in a particular flexy pose, she said, “Now, if you’re WEARING JEANS, this probably isn’t going to work for you.” Zing! Nice.

Inspiration from Yoga

   Today I went back for my second class at New Day yoga, this time the gentle hot yoga class taught by Amanda. I have to say, I really dig this studio! I liked Amanda from the minute I walked in the door: she greeted me at the front desk and I was happy to find out she was the teacher. And not only that, Chandra Blackwell was in the lobby when I walked in, so it was great to see a familiar face in the class. This was her first time at the studio. Groupon brought us together.
   This was only my second attempt at hot yoga. The first was in Albuquerque in July, where it was 110 degrees outside and 100 inside, and it was very, VERY challenging. So hot and humid that it was difficult to maintain an even breath, and the carpeted room was thick with the smell of mildew and sweat, old and new. In contrast, this studio was warm, but probably not much over 90 degrees, and the wood floors meant that it smelled much more pleasant. It was a much easier introduction to hot yoga, and one I'd go back for, to build up my stamina before attempting the hardcore version. 
   Apparently the idea is that the heat increases your flexibility, allowing you to get into the poses more deeply, and at the same time it makes you sweat profusely so that toxins leave your body. In ABQ I was practically afraid of consciousness leaving my body, and interrupting the class with a giant THUD as I hit the deck from downward dog.
   Just as the teacher before, Amanda shared some inspirational thoughts and words of wisdom throughout the class. She kept us focused on breathing in concert with the poses, suggesting that we breathe very deeply in order to, "Breathe in positive energy, and breathe out negative energy." She reminded us to let energy flow freely through ourselves without resistance.
   She ended Savasana with a quote: "The difference between ordinary & extraordinary is that little bit extra. Challenge yourself to be extraordinary." Then she brought us into seated position, and we put our hands in prayer, resting on the third eye, then the mouth, then the heart, as she said, "Reminder to keep your mind open, your words kind, and be true to yourself. The divine spirit within me is connected to the divine spirit within you. Namaste." Like every teacher I've ever had, she had unique things in her practice that I loved.
   I checked into Foursquare after class and found that I had earned this badge, which made me laugh. Guilty pleasure lunch, anyone?

   P.S. Check this out. Weird synchronicity: A couple of hours after I got home, I was working on some plush with the TV on and heard this commercial for the U.S. Virgin Islands, "Let go of ordinary and see what extraordinary feels like. Be who you are, and who you could be." Sound familiar?

A great end to a good workout

   That iPod Nano and Nike Plus (not to mention RunningRockChalk's challenge) has me running a lot lately. But I'm also still attending yoga and boot camp, so by the time I get home for dinner (usually around 8-9 pm) I'm about ready to eat everything in the fridge! Tonight I finished yoga and then ran a 5k, cleaned up and came home to make soft tacos. I need to pace myself to make sure I don't irritate my hip injuries, but so far, so great!

Yoga fix

   I finally got around to using my month-long pass to New Day Yoga Studio that I purchased a while back on Living Social, and it was a great experience! I love trying different yoga teachers and centers, because they all have their special nuances and different series of poses. (But don't worry, Britten—you will ALWAYS be my favorite!!)

   The classroom was small—only about the size of the room at my gym. But by god, Hilary managed to pack 40 people in there! I wasn't too jazzed about that at first, but the others students were really nice, and after all, "yoga" means "union," and with our mats staggered it was never a problem. Man, did that room heat up fast, though! It was already much warmer than I was used to, so it felt like a light-gentle-hot-yoga class. Heat makes your muscles more flexible, but for me it also makes breathing harder and my hands slip on the mat. But challenge is what I was there for.

   The teacher started us by having us concentrate on Ujjayi breathing in unison (sounds like the ocean!), then set us in child's pose and read an inspiring mantra. I'm paraphrasing: Every tree started from a seed; every building from a handful of dirt. "From here, every goal is possible. Be bold and fearless." And then she sent us into a long series of sun salutations, 

Chaturanga and Vinyasa flows that were really challenging, despite the several years of practice I have under my belt. I challenged myself by getting as deeply into the Asanas as possible. It was difficult, but It felt good.

   She ended the class by putting us into Savasana (corpse pose), lowering the lights, and turning on the special effects: a moving field of projected "stars" on the ceiling. I had never seen this used in a class before, and really liked it—very relaxing! To bring us out of Savasana, she read another inspiring meditation. It was a great practice—I can't wait to go back again.

   Here's a glossary of Sanskit terms that I found on Yoga Journal.

Heaven, thy name is Broadmoor Bistro

    Tonight Kelly graciously came by to let the dogs out and feed them so that I could race to the 5:30 yoga class. Even the 6:30 class is difficult for me to catch, by the time I fight traffic coming out of downtown, stop home, feed the dogs, let the dogs out, change clothes, bring the dogs in, and race back to the gym. (Is it just me, or is that a workout in itself?!)
   Britten's class was awesome as always. Fun and challenging. Especially when you're transitioning from plank into a tough pose like crocodile and she intentionally tries to make you laugh: "Lower SLOWLY. Still lowering... now hover... still hovering... if you're already on the floor, smile, press your hands into the floor and PRETEND you're hovering..."
   After class, Britten and I dashed into the locker room to change, then headed to Broadmoor Bistro to meet up with Nicole for dinner. Neither of them had dined there before, so I was very excited for them to try it.
   We had such a great time—it was nice to have a girls dinner and we quickly got wrapped up in the food and the great conversation and completely lost track of time... and at 8:45 they lowered the lights and practically shoved us out the door. There was one other party there with us, so we weren't alone, but of course we felt bad to stay so late (the restaurant is run by high school students). We apologized and left a nice tip. I just hope we didn't piss off Bob Brassard to the point where he'll cancel my reservation if he sees my name pop up again. (Think he has my photo at the register with a note that says, "DO NOT SERVE THIS GIRL"?! The student chefs said he was very irritated.)
   Anyway, as always, the exquisite selections on the menu made it difficult to choose. But in the end, I went with:

Napoli Flat Bread

Caramelized Red Onions, Roasted Mushrooms, Goat Cheese

Tagliatelle “Ragu”

Slow Braised Veal Cheeks, Porcini Mushrooms, Sage Butter

Age Gouda

Chili – Garlic Grilled Prawns

Coconut Tapioca, Sesame Glazed Long Beans

Bananas Foster 

Pan Pardu, Bacon Caramel, Brandied Bananas

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

   Everything was as good as it sounds... the creamy goat cheese on the bruschetta, the incredibly rich and smooth sage butter sauce on the pasta, the tasty-spicy shrimp. But the bananas foster... my knees are still quivering. It was like hot, melty french toast with caramel and sweet, warm, caramelized bananas. WOW.

   Any calories I may have burned off in yoga were right back.
   And they were so, so worth it.

Mr. Mitts

Kristin just created a Mii for her cat. Awesome.

Wonder if he does Wii Fit Yoga too?

Britten's Baklava

   I gave Britten a jar of Patty's honey for Christmas, and she returned the favor by bringing homemade baklava to me at our next yoga class. Score!!! (Cinnamon be damned, I scarfed it down.) Delicious!

Toga—I mean Yoga—party

   Last night I attended Britten's birthday/Christmas party out in Oak Grove and had a great time—the only people I knew going in were Nicole, Stacy and Britten! But her friends are all awesome and I had a blast. Britten, as it turns out, is an amazing cook and the wine and conversation were flowing. 
   One guest, Yvette, talked to me a lot... apparently she sensed my energy as soon as I stepped in the door. After a while she asked me about my husband, and was really surprised when I proclaimed myself to be single. She latched onto that & kept telling me that I just haven't met a guy who really deserves me yet (no argument there!). That so far, the universe has protected me from something worse and is preparing me for something better than I've ever experienced. Interesting. She does tarot readings and said she wanted to give me a free reading sometime. I've never done it before, so what the heck. How could that not be fun?? Can't wait to see what she has to say.
   It reminded me of the phone conversation I had with Joan's former neighbor months ago. Mary is psychic by nature but does readings for free as a favor to people, not as a business. Let me be clear that I am neither a believer or disbeliever of this stuff, but I find it to be fascinating either way. And she had all kinds of gems for me: 
   • I need to learn to let go of what I need to let go of.
   • I'm going to make an ally out of someone with whom I've clashed before (I might have figured out who that is?).
   • At work, she sees a lateral move for me (done), and then upward (interesting because she told me that before I was enrolled in the leadership training program).
   • I need to trust people more, and delegate more at work... to "move the chess pieces rather than be the chess piece."
   • I have a "cool, crazy, scattered energy."
   • I haven't come into my own yet. (Working on it. Discovering more about myself every day.)
   • I'm spread too thin. (I'm feeling that one!)
   • I can be a different kind of person depending on environment and circumstances, which can be great at work but not necessarily good in relationships.
   • I need to scoop up all the pieces of myself and put them all back together in a more cohesive way.
   • I have both male & female energy. (Must explain my sense of humor!)
   • I'm complicated, and need to find a partner who isn't.
   • Don't share everything; keep some things close to my vest. (A tough one for me!)
   That was the gist of the conversation... some really interesting things to think about! Thanks to Britten for a really fun time. Look forward to more of her awesome & intense yoga classes in 2011!  :)

A roller coaster day in 3 acts

I'll say this first: today had a great beginning & ending!  :)

ACT I: great food & great friends

   I had plans to meet Britten (my Yogini, which sounds like a drink but simply means my yoga instructor), Nicole (from class) & Stacy (Britten's friend) for brunch at Bluestem, and I was excited to try it because I had heard such good things. We had a great time together & it was a fun way to spend a relaxing Sunday morning. Just what I needed. The special, a breakfast burrito with homemade pico de gallo, was delicious, and the Mimosa hit the spot!

ACT 2: testing my nerves

   Then I returned home & realized that Aki still wasn't feeling good; she has had 2 accidents in the house overnight this week, which NEVER happens, so I knew something was wrong. She seemed more frantic to get outside this weekend, constantly whining at the door to get out. Clearly something was wrong, and I suspected a urinary infection. I weighed the options of running her to the emergency vet today or trying to get her into her regular vet tomorrow morning, & decided that since the condition was potentially very painful it couldn't wait. Mistake #1: I should have waited for MY vet.

   We got to the clinic, which was nearly empty. "Great! We'll be in & out," I thought. "Then we can run around the dog park for a bit." I filled out a form & was immediately taken back to a small exam room. A vet tech came in, asked me questions, then said she needed to take Aki in the back to be examined. I was not comfortable with them taking her to the back. All the equipment was in the room. Why wouldn't the vet examine her here? But I didn't speak up. Mistake #2: if your gut tells you something is wrong, listen.

    After 15 minutes, a vet came in & asked me if they could take a urine sample. "That's the whole reason I'm here. What were you doing for the first 15 minutes?" I thought. She said she'd check the urine under a microscope & would be back. She left. I sat there & read a magazine. Taylor was with me, and was uncharacteristically upset. He wouldn't settle down.   

   The room backed right up to the "employees only" area, and there was a lot of commotion. Every minute or so, I would hear loud, bloodcurdling shrieking, followed by horrific snarling & barking. Whatever they had back there sounded vicious. I went back to the magazine. Taylor paced & whined, staring at the door. The screaming heightened. I couldn't help but be bothered by it: that dog sounded like it was in a terrible amount of pain! Then the snarling again. And all the while, the sounds of several employees talking... and LAUGHING. WHAT is going ON back there? Why weren't they helping that dog?

   I tried to be patient, but the sounds were frightening & persistent. When I checked my watch I realized I had been trying to tune it out for an hour. Where was the vet? Where was Aki? Then I heard a loose dog scuttling past our door with an agitated man yelling, "Catch it!" Taylor went crazy, as did all the dogs in the back. I wanted to open the door to see if Aki was loose, but I waited until the chaos died down. I had been waiting one and a half HOURS, and my nerves were shot—I was completely on edge from what sounded like animals being tortured. My hands were shaking.

   I opened the employee door & stuck my head in. Suddenly everything was quiet. I called, "Hello?" No answer. You could hear a pin drop. "HELLO?!" Nothing. That was it. I wanted my dog back & I wanted to get the hell out of this place. Mistake #3: don't wait until you're seriously upset before speaking up.

   I went to the front desk, & said that I wanted my dog right now & that we were leaving. The bewildered receptionist took me back to the room again & brought in the vet, Aki in tow. She said she was just examining the sample. I said that I thought it was horrible that they'd leave me for an hour & a half in a room listening to what sounded like dogs being tortured, without checking in with me. She didn't say much, just lowered her eyes & said that the urine contained some bacteria & yeast, that they were giving me an antibiotic & a steroid, and I should follow up with my own vet. I barely heard her.

   Furious, I stopped at the counter to check out, expecting a bill of about $100, or twice what my vet would charge. It was over $200. I nearly lost it. I said that given what I had just been through & their failure to communicate about my dog or the charges, I wasn't willing to pay the full amount. She kindly went to get the manager.

   The manager met me & took me back to a room to avoid making a scene in the now-full lobby. To my surprise she responded just how I would have wanted her to: she asked me what happened. She agreed that the communication breakdown was their fault. She listened attentively & with empathy & concern. She said she'd address everything with the full staff after I left. She explained that the screaming & snarling was from a dog with a traumatic brain injury, who slipped in & out of a coma. Every time he came to, he went crazy. The only way they could control it was through medicating him to make him comatose again. That bothered me in that it sounded like the dog was being kept alive to suffer, rather than being mercifully laid to rest. But I'm not a vet. So I suggested that no one should be left sitting in an adjacent room, forced to listen to that, particularly with no explanation. I couldn't tell for sure whether or not the sounds were coming from MY dog!

   She apologized & said that the staff worked hard, but sometimes they got too "clinical" & forgot that they were dealing with people's babies. I said that NO ONE in this profession should EVER forget that their patients are beloved. She nodded.

  She waived the exam fee ($75), I paid up & we were on our way to the dog park. I won't soon forget this event, but I hoped the dogs would. I hope the manager will use this as a learning opportunity for her staff. It also reinforced my feelings of how I want to treat others, and to be treated.

ACT 3: bring it on home

   I got home exhausted but looking forward to heading out to Lee's Summit to pick up Lisa at the airport, a young red shiba from Wisconsin. She was 1 of 2 shibas that had been rescued from a 1000+ count puppy mill in Mexico, MO. I got to the airport & sat in the lobby, chatting with a guy named Kelly. Soon the Piper Cherokee arrived & John stepped out & unloaded Lisa. She was a happy, energetic, gorgeous young shiba, tiny at only 14 pounds. She didn't walk: she pranced. She acted like she was in a dog show. Not the attitude you'd expect from a dog who grew up in deplorable conditions. A dog's resilience is something we can all learn from. I thanked the guys & drove to pick up Kathy.

   Kathy & I delivered Sookie (her new name, from "True Blood") to Ryan, which was about the best ending a day could ever have. The dog was happy, Ryan & his mom were happy, and Kathy & I left feeling that we helped make a perfect match. I was so grateful to be involved & for a great finale to a tough day.        FIN

In the Nick of Time

   Today was our group presentation to our North American Leadership Team, our recommendation for a holistic strategy for leveraging social media to bring the vision of our brand to life. The day we've been working diligently toward for the last 2 months. And we were ready; feeling confident about the recommendations we were making to our senior leaders. Aaaand of course today would be the day that I would wake up sick. My throat was swollen & sore, my head ached & was full of ickyness, and I could NOT stop sneezing

   Undeterred (okay, MOSTLY undeterred), I got up early, sucked it up & headed to work. We were first up on the agenda, presenting from 9-10, and then answering questions and debating our recommendations until 10:30. I figured I could get through that & then have the rest of the day to sit & enjoy the other presentations. (Apologies to everyone whose presentations I sneezed through incessantly. Clearly, you were nothing at which to sneeze!) Frankly, I am SO GLAD my body fought off the pestilence as long as it did.

   I had spent a good deal of time reviewing my talking points & figuring out exactly what I wanted to say & how to say it, to boost my confidence. Although I am frequently given the feedback that I don't SEEM nervous, it's there. I put a lot of pressure on myself to get it just right. (My knees were shivering. Hope no one noticed.)

   The presentation gods were smiling upon me, though I had a couple of small stumbles. What I felt really good about, though, was the final 30 minutes. As counterintuitive as it seems, it is so much easier for me to speak "off-script" on a topic I know well, rather than putting pressure on myself to memorize talking points in an effort to make sure I don't leave anything out. When I'm speaking off the cuff, my passion on the topic comes across. The feedback I received last year in CLDP supports this, and if I had to bet on what I'll hear during the debrief tomorrow, that's where my money is. I'm not sure how to resolve this, because there ARE key points I had to remember to cover. Hmm... my dilemma. I don't think I'll ever be a really great presenter (that's realism, not pessimism), but I do like the challenge.
   I think the key is to get into the zone where you're not thinking about what you want to say, you just say it. You get so into the flow & the moment that it just unfolds as if it were effortless. I can do that with yoga & drawing, occasionally running. Not with speaking yet.

   In any case, I was really pleased with the response we got from the audience, most especially that of Dave Hall himself. He was sitting right in the middle of the room, smiling & nodding as we spoke, and if that doesn't give you confidence, I don't know what will. I think he believed in our point of view. He even called me "Jen."

   After work I attempted to oust my germs with a triple whammy of yoga, swimming & sauna. I'm pretty sure it didn't work. But I'll know in the morning... G'night!

Om Namah Shivaya

   I had earned a free movie ticket that was going to expire tonight, so my first thought was that I'd use it to see "Step Up 3D," which I've been interested in, if only to hear the new Flo Rida song ("The Club Can't Handle Me" f. David Guetta), but putting off 'cause I've been so busy. Mistake! It is already gone from every theater within 50 miles of home. I checked.
   So the dilemma was, see "Machete" or "Eat Pray Love?" "Machete" is more up my alley, but I've been really curious about the concept of "EPL." Since it is likely to be gone soon I chose the latter.
   The previews were mostly forgettable, but one line from "Secretariat" struck me: "Life is ahead of you. And you run at it." I thought that was a great aspirational statement.
   Unfortunately, "EPL" was just as cloying and over-long as I hoped it wouldn't be. But I gleaned enough from it that it was still worth the time. It had perhaps the simplest & most elegant articulation of religion that I've ever heard: "God lives in you, as you." I like it because I've never felt at home in the formal ceremony of the Catholic church, though I've tested this by returning periodically throughout my life. While some people seem to need that ceremony to feel they've practiced, if it feels forced, I think you're better off doing what comes naturally to you while living the best life you can. That seems to me the most authentic & appropriate tribute to what ever God you choose to follow. And I say it that way because I don't believe that any particular religion is right—or wrong.
   "Om Namah Shivaya" is a mantra used in meditation (including my yoga class) meaning, "I bow to Shiva." Shiva is the supreme reality, the true identity of the inner Self; the name given to consciousness that dwells in all. It's meant to be the pathway to Self-Realization. This was the theme for the film, and I am realizing, the journey that I am currently undertaking for myself.

   "Namaste" is the other phrase heard most often in yoga, to end a session, a Sanskrit word translating to, "I bow to the divine in you.” or "The light within me is connected to & honors the light within you." Namaste is a traditional greeting of respect and thanks. I like that it recognizes the connection between people. Because family (however you choose to define it), as EPL stated, is the thing that is forever.

   And, on a lighter note, my Flo Rida song came up first on my iPod as I was driving home. Here's the video. Big love.