A Much Bigger Journey Or Month-End Review, March

The song that flows through my head most often these days is Big and Chunky. I've gained a considerable of amount of weight back. I'm indulging myself and can't seem to stop. What I'm not going to do is beat myself up right now -- maybe later. :)

So glad that I went through my little weight loss journey which turned into a a much bigger journey. I've changed and I credit a big part of the change to yoga and bodywork. While I'm not pleased that I've regained weight, I'm pleased with what I found along the way -- greater contentment...

Didn't get to ride my bike last weekend because of the weather so it was nice to bicycle to work today. Looking forward to more outdoor activities -- yoga, climbing et al.

Bicycling, 7 x's

Climbing, 2 x's

Dance It Off & firm up!
*Rock It, 1 x

Gaim: Cardio Burn Kickbox, 4 x's

Just Walk: mix + match walk blaster
*Dance Walk, 1 x
*Light Walk, 1 x
*Short + Sweaty, 1 x
*Tummy Trimmer, 1 x
*Walk, Kick + Jab, 1 x

Qigong, 2 x's

Swimming, 4 x's

Walking, 11 x's

Yoga, 3 x's

Zumba, 7 x's

Fuller

Walked to work and wondered if I'd left a pair of regular shoes there. If not, I'd think like Andy Dufresne from Shawshank Redemption -- people hardly ever look down.

Listened to part of a Moth podcast, Rattlesnakes, Wedding Rings and Rescue Missions, on my trek. When Ryan Knighton said Sometimes the best experiences don't invite you, it resonated with me. My eyes fell on a plastic, red flower at the same time he said that. Not sure what invitations had to do with the red flower but maybe it caught my eye because Knighton talked about going blind...

Went to yoga tonight after more than a week without practicing. Annie subbed for Joy who's still in Jamaica. There was a Bob Marley song on tonight's playlist making me long for the island even more...

We started class on our backs which is always dangerous for me because I just want to stay in savasana. Annie asked us to notice several things including whether or not our breath could be fuller. My breath is often hall full so, in the spirit of Shawshank Redemption, I got busy breathing fuller breaths.

You Gotta Relax

Totally crabby yesterday. For the most part my altruism, patience,  stamina and understanding is low by Thursday anyway.

Last night was movie night at The 'Fugee's and we watched Get On Up. When Aunt Honey told the young James Brown You gone be all right, it held extra meaning for me.

There was no rushing this morning. Sat by the window and chilled out until it was close to 11:00 a.m. -- Zumba time. Although Alisha is a sub, I was glad to see her and her enormous 'fro. My regular teacher for Thursday night hasn't been there in three weeks and while I adore the other sub for her enthusiasm, I miss familiar and accessible (to me) routines...

Went to Trader Joe's and this woman told this whining child You gotta relax a little bit. Love modern parenting.

You Want To Be Starting Something

After watching The Good Wife, left my Aunt Al's about 9:45 p.m. on Sunday. Got in my car and it wouldn't turn over. Lifted the hood and there was corrosion on the battery but still didn't the battery was the problem since it's two years old. Cleaned off the cable with baking soda and water. Couldn't get the bolt off to properly clean it... yadda yadda yadda.

Poor Chiquita. She had fallen asleep on a March Madness game and was planning to stay at her mom's but ended up taking me home. She has had to play taxi etc. a lot in the last six months.

Got my car towed on Monday and got it back today. As I handed over a credit car, knew that I would get an email warning me that a large transaction had posted to my account. Had to replace the starter and, for the past year, I've had and on-again off-again brake\wheel noise. I joked with Alison that I was going to create a reality show with mechanics and the one who figured out the problem would win the prize of my undying gratitude. The noise is now gone...

When I told my uncle Pat about the starter he said that he could have fixed it but he's been working a lot and on the midnight shift and he's already working on my computer.

Went swimming tonight and I was able to relax my mind. Didn't know if the pool would be open. Apparently, it's on the chopping block because that district has a huge deficit.

Imperfect Patch

As I headed in the direction of the riverfront yesterday, I kind of meditated about being able to lift my bicycle out of the basement, getting into my car unassisted, seeing the downtown tourists etc...

Two of Many Volunteers

When I hit the trail saw individuals picking up debris and I was really touched when I saw the under 10 crowd helping out...

Fast forward to this morning...blah. Didn't feel like going to 9:00 a.m. yoga and wasn't sure about 11 but pushed myself in hopes that I would be able to shake off my blue mood.

Gloria did a restorative class and I smiled when we said Namaste. I've always liked the way Gloria does her three Namaste salute after the initial class-ending one.

After yoga went to the grocery store and was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by live music. The singer had a dancing hulu girl in a beverage holder and that also made me smile. The first words that I heard were These are the days of miracle...

First Singer That I've Seen In This Store

As I made Red Quinoa Zucchini Burgers I did Qigong in between and I can see why some yoga teachers like to mix in Qigong with yoga. It was definitely hard to stay in the blah zone while doing swimming dragon.

Before practice started Gloria read a passage from one of Sarah Ban Breathnac's books that talked about perfectionism and how Amish quilters deliberately leave an imperfect patch.

I Should Be

I was off yesterday and today. At the max again with vacation units and I should be packing for Jamaica but...

During the holidays, gave Gloria a stocking stuffer Groupon to the Campbell House Museum. Thought that she would go with Little Buddha but she wanted to go with me so we went yesterday.

We were met by a retired history teacher who is the docent along with two UMSL students who are docents in training. I don't know why but it surprised me that the students are history majors...

The Campbells had 13 children but only three survived -- their health problems were related to indoor plumbing and untreated water. One of my favorite rooms in the Campbell House is the morning room -- think every house should have one...

Morning Room

I had my eye on a yoga retreat with a local studio but the prices were kind of crazy for a March depature. Airfare was $630-ish which I would have paid but I couldn't get a decent time. It was either leave at 6:15 a.m. or travel for 18 hours.

I was willing to concede on the time but wondered who would get met to the airport at 6:00 a.m. or earlier. I thought about leaving my car at the airport or staying in a hotel near the airport but both options were around the $100 mark. So, anyway, here I sit until...

As Much As Possible

No exercise yesterday. Went with the 'Fugee and another 'Fugee over to Illinois to look at an outlet store's glasses so that the other 'Fugee didn't have to pay hundreds.

At the outlet I inquired about a doctor's appointment since the cost of an exam is less than my copay and it's where I get my glasses from anyway.

Went to the STL Bread Company for dinner and tried one of their new broth bowls. Probably had more sodium than I needed but what the heck...

We also went to Fresh Thyme, a new grocery store on the Ill-side.

Got home and realized that I was just wearing my Fitbit case but the device wasn't in it. I was thinking about how bad my luck has been but tried not to dwell on it and prepared to call the various stores to see if anyone had turned it in but the other 'Fugee found it in her car this morning and I'm glad because the Fitbit has become an important visual reminder for me to move as much as possible.

And Yes For Sunday

Asked Alison if she was up to bicycling on Sunday and she said yes but suggested that we skip yoga so that we didn't have to do and prepare for back-to-back activities on our first significant outing.

Hit downtown and encountered several blocked roads because I didn't realize that the City Arch River project had extended.

Alison said that this road below was here first f' it moment.

I wasn't confident that I'd find my way to the Riverfront Trail parking lot but I did after several detours. Half the parking lot is fenced off but there was one space left for moi.

Alison and I stopped in our tracks because we noticed major changes in the mural at the start of the trail...

Continued with my bicycling adventure and peddled to work. During lunch thought about how I wanted to be active in the evening and it would have been ridiculous not to head to the park after work since it's nearby. Gathered workout clothes during my lunch break and carried out my plan. The weather was perfect.

Went to yoga tonight -- first time on the mat this month. Joy was talking the talk and saying stuff like calm and peaceful is our natural state and later on Your body loves your attention.

Blasé Flow

Dreamed that I was walking around barefoot on an elevated platform. Also dreamed that I was trying to get my paraphernalia out of the car and bicyclists kept whizzing by.

I've been thinking about walking around the house barefoot to strengthen my feet and it popped into my sleep world.

Gave into a craving and made banana-coconut pancakes from a recipe that I saw in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Fast. Thought that coconut milk, with the unsweetened coconut, would be overwhelming but it wasn't. I've been giving into cravings a lot. Stay tuned...

Quite frankly, don't even know if I have the stamina to follow a straight and narrow road anymore.

Went to Zumba and knew there would be a sub because the regular teacher is having minor surgery which was no problem because I know the regular sub. Her routines seem more technical but I had a little talk with myself about loosening up and chilling out.

After Zumba Alison and I went to Target and bought Apple products. She as able to use rewards and multiple discounts for both of us. I feel like an extreme couponer Alison said as she got her various cards scanned.

I was nervous about plopping down money for another iPod but everyone else seems so blasé about buying multiple Apple products, including replacements, so I'm going with the blasé flow on this one.

...Don't Stop

Found a comfortable pair of business casual pants that work for walking.

My JC Penney Worthington slacks are not the best for bicycling but they aren't too bad. Maybe I need some yoga pants for the office.

Not a dedicated bike rack at work but I found somewhere to lock up my bike and actually a good place to keep an eye on it too.

I also bicycled home for lunch and, later, to Lulu's Local Eatery to get veggie burgers. Looked on Cyclelicious for directions to Lulu's because I wanted to go the back way since Lulu's is in a crowded business district.

Glad that I looked because Cyclelicious also told me the I would only burn about 30 calories which they said was about a cup of strawberries worth of energy. I needed a reminder like that.

Went to Zumba and one of my classmates said that she had been out for a month because of a sprained ankle. She had prematurely tried Zumba another night but was giving it another go. The world don't stop, she said.

Doing Something

My short commute to work has become shorter since the move.

Decided to walk to work yesterday and, without too much extra preparation, I got to work not too long after I normally get there. 

Managed to download one of the saddest episodes of The Moth -- Eyewitness: The Moth in Portland, ME. I don't mind being plunged into a dark story if there's light at the end but it was odd to be teary-eyed while walking.

Picked my bike up from the shop and it's all clean and tuned up. I plan to bicycle to work since it's supposed to get up to 69 degrees.

Hit the pool tonight. This woman told me I haven't seen you during the day. I explained to her that I only swim during the day when I'm off from work and she told me that she'd missed two swim sessions and was able to fit in this p.m. one. I gotta do something because I like to eat and drink...

On a totally different note, I wasn't completely sure that I was awake this morning when I heard this woman's  chant.

Saving Time

Was pretty sure that I wouldn't make it to 9:00 a.m. yoga and decided to nix 11:00 a.m. as well. Just felt like staying at home for the most part.

Let's see. In addition to my desktop being out of commission, the cracked screen of the iPod and the water-damaged Kindle, I went to play a DVD yesterday and I'm pretty sure the converter box is gone rendering all of my workout DVDs useless because I can't even play them on the computer.

In addition to Target etc., my library likes to hand out papers.  Usually, the papers are annoying but I found out about Hoopla this time.

Signed up for an account and borrowed Gaim's Cardio Burn Kickbox which I like a lot -- the first 30 something minutes anyway.

Better Conditions

Long week.

I was doing my 15 minutes of morning reading and came across nice articles including one about a 70-year-old who completed an Ironman.

Came across this cool Hafiz quote too:

Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions.

Went to Zumba and one of my classmates was groaning with each piece of clothing and accessory that she put on.

Me: You sound like you've had the same kind of day that I've had.

Her: It takes a lot for me to come up in here.

I was on the verge of a completely crappy mood until I hit Zumba last night...

One of my colleagues told me that she spends a lot of energy thinking about the next thing/event and that's one of the things that yoga has helped me with -- concentrating on the present moment and not worrying so much about next week. As it is, this week gave me plenty to worry about.

I definitely need to find another hour for yoga in my week. If not for yoga, I would have lost it this week. However, I was too exhausted for FriYay. :(

Before I left work the person who brought the terranium, African violet and the palm plant said that he would stop by to see how the plants are doing and, if necessary, he will replace the plants. Guess he heard about my brown thumb.

Clean Again

Patti emailed me toward the end of the work day to say that she wasn't feeling very energetic and I told her that once she started climbing the walls, her chi would start flowing again. I was right.

Patti had been upset about something and took her anger out on the wall.

I could see Will's mind in the future as he talked about what he needed to get done: laundry and cooking. He did not appreciate my old joke about laundry in the hamper:

Clothes stored in the hamper long enough, become clean again.

This guy, Chris, showed Will how to climb this one 5.10b route. Chris talked about the difference between trad and sport climbing then told Will about his technique -- I'm moving slow like I'm literally about to step on a mouse trap...

Will told me that he's on his seventh iPod Nano and now gets an extended warranty.

I've done research and there's one company that supposedly replaces iPod Touch screens for $50 and can do it in an hour. Not sure if I should just put that money into a new one or not.

Do You Love It?

I've been trying to get up without grumbling and it's worked up until this morning. Woke up hard and didn't feel like I had much of a weekend and when I think about how long it took to get to the end of last week, well, sigh...

Didn't go anywhere yesterday and started to feel claustrophobic.

Went in search of a pair of house shoes that I bought over four years ago and unearthed so many other things in the process. Couldn't believe all of the magazines and journals that I had put on my closet floor. Who does that kind of thing?

Found gifts that I had long forgotten about then found myself posing the question Do you love it? I have learned vicariously. Patti's been reading this book by a Japanese woman that is apparently all the rage.

When I held up one of the items, I definitely didn't have loving thoughts. Instead, I thought about how big it was and how much space it would take up so it went into a donation bag.

I uncluttered for hours but it was a drop in the bucket but at least it was a start and this time around I feel ready to let go of stuff.

Patti offered to loan me the book via Kindle but that's not going to work since my Kindle is out of commission. One of my coworkers said that when her husband walked into the pool with an iPhone, the rice didn't work until they opened it up and took the battery out and the details get fuzzy after that...

The basic Kindle is on sale for $59 right now but I'd rather not spend money if I don't have to...

When one of my colleagues walked in and saw the latest flower arrangement, she said that it was a Japanese way of arranging flowers -- usually living plants.

The person who gave it to me said that it was intended to to be presented in a certain direction but I don't remember the specifics. She also said that she enjoys making flower arrangements and that it helps her deal with stress...

On another note, dropped my iPod about 10 minutes ago and the glass shattered spectacularly.