Technically None But...

Pose of The Child (On Top of Glass Bottom Boat)

So, what I forgot to mention about Erin in the previous post is that she enjoys giving massages and I just want to put this out in the universe. Erin, if you need to practice a new technique, I'm your woman!!!

One of the questions on the customs' declaration form asks how many family members you're traveling with and I found it hard to write zero. Technically, the answer was zero but part of my yoga family was traveling with me.

It was unbelievable how fast Saturday and the end of the yoga retreat arrived. I could have stayed another day or two but eight of us piled into a van and headed to Montego Bay yesterday. When we arrived in Orlando, found out that the plane had been delayed for two hours. No problem. Those two hours felt like thirty minutes since we were able to enjoy each other's company.

When I got home, had an email from Laura who said that reggae music had been playing on the radio and that she missed me already. I miss/ed her too...

Home

Little One in Front of Me

Fast forward to Sunday morning. I woke around 5:00 a.m. and tears fell. I am now used to having breakfast with at least five people and traveling with an even larger posse...

Went to the library and got Bob and Ziggy Marley CDs then headed to Jay International to get nutmeg. I cannot face oatmeal without nutmeg now. I also bought Busy Signal's Text Message which I found very amusing while the video played in a Jamaican cab. Dang, just thought about how Whitney likes to say JK (just kidding).

Rooster around 7-ish

Wow Factor

Didn't think that this yoga retreat could get more special but one of my fellow yogis joined us three days after everyone arrived.

Not only is Erin sweet but she also is a physical therapist and she gave me a neck and shoulder massage on the beach while it rained with reggae emanating from the Las Vegas club. Thought that I was going to combust from joy.

Rain Clouds and Horse

Third Negril Rainbow Spotted in Seven Days

Post-Yoga Intention-Setting Lantern Release

Something New

Headed to gentle yoga after work and the teacher that I was expecting wasn't there but I heard just what I needed to hear from Erin:

Your intention might be -- I intend to do nothing but breathe and relax.

Thank you for the reminder. Think my new favorite pose is supported supta baddha konasana a.k.a. supported reclining bound angle pose.

And supta reminds me of another yoga teacher, Liz, who said that when you hear supta it's usually a reclining pose and how I love to hear supta.

Had planned to go to Zumba so I checked Shawny's Facebook page before heading out but class was canceled. Shawny's been ill and I guess no sub was available.

As much as I like to exercise, it's hard for me to pull myself together to exercise after 7:00 p.m. but I grabbed a few DVDs and went at it. Looking for variety, cracked the seal on Country Line Dance Party! I'm not a fan of country music but I was surprised by how fast the first 10 minutes went by. It's definitely nice to do something new.

Finished listening to the Aloud LA podcast on my return walk home yesterday. Like the James Baldwin quote that Charles Blow referenced:

You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.

Holding On

Connie As Alison & I Checked Out Totems

It's been a tense month at work then I rushed around playing squeezing specialist --trying to fit many things into my day on Friday. After returning from lunch, knew that I had locked my keys in the car as soon as the door sealed. Worst possible timing in that people with spare keys are in another state. Luckily, my roadside assistance covers locking one's key in the car. Wasn't sure that the insurance did. Otherwise, I would have had to call a locksmith.

On Fridays, I face a small dilemma. I want to practice yoga but I also feel wrecked. Despite feeling depleted and like I couldn't move any further, I went and it was worth it just to hear Erin say Cut the cords that have been hanging onto you all week. Hallelujah and thanks for the cue...

Went bicycling with Alison and Connie. When I arrived at the parking lot, there were only two cars so I turned on my cell phone in case Alison needed to reach me and I started reading Mental Floss when I heard someone approach my car. It was Alison. Connie had driven and told Alison that she didn't think that I knew they were there. I most certainly did not know. Kind of funny.

We had gorgeous weather for bicycling which had me singing Lovely Day throughout the bike ride and I'm going to hold onto that and not dwell on the fact that I checked very few things off of the to-do list.

One of Artica's Totems

The Six-Letter Word

Ninety five degrees today but 82 tomorrow. It was the perfect time to hit the pool but, no, I just had to go to kettlebell practice. When Chip said I hope this workout is not for us, I was sure that the list on the whiteboard was meant for Marisa's other clients but I was wrong. My first line of defense is usually denial in case you're wondering...

Modified Circuit:

10 Inchworms with Push-up (Instead of Burpees)
25 Two-Hand Swings
9 Inchworms..
30 Two-Hand Swings
8 Inchworms...
35 Two-Hand Swings
7 Inchworms...
40 Two-Hand Swings
6 Inchworms...
45 Two-Hand Swings
5 Inchworms...
50 Two-Hand Swings

I absolutely do not care how long it took me to finish but Marisa kept track. It took me 17 minutes to inch my way through that circuit. Erin and Princess Tiffany came late and still finished before me and they didn't modify which meant that they started out with 30 burpees. Julia did a semi-modified workout and had to leave early because she got nauseous.

I swung with a 12 kg kettlebell then switched back to a 10 kg when we did a minute of cleans and presses, snatches, etc.

As I looked at those burpees on the whiteboard, I thought about the pool and wondered about my decision-making skills.

Unless It's A Turkish Bicycle

I've started and stopped reading several books including Drinking Closer to Home, Those We Love Most and The First 20 Minutes... I finally decided that it was time to pick up Cheryl Strayed's Wild. As I read through Twitter lists, I saw that Strayed would be in town today. Only, it's kettlebell day. I thought about doing kettlebell on Saturday but it will be a weekend with lots of family activity and, therefore, not a good time for kettlebell.

I decided not to see Strayed because I didn't want to contend with rushing to a limited seating event and I didn't want to sit anymore and I'm only 50 pages into Wild and what if...

Got to kettlebell and discovered that Chip has recuperated from surgery. Marisa decided to give us simple moves to welcome Chip back -- if you want to call dive-bomber push-ups simple.

As we went through our kettlebell cleans and presses, Marisa told Chip that swinging a kettlebell is just like riding a bicycle. Unless it's a Turkish bicycle Chip said. Marisa did have a little mercy and left Turkish Get-Ups out of the workout...

As I snickered with Chip, Erin wanted to know what was going on, decided that I was teasing her and threatened to kick me. I told her that kicking whilst holding a plank would only intensify said plank. She kicked out at me anyway.

Erin -- Snatching the Hell Out of a Kettlebell

Because I Look Like a Badass or Stuff People Say to Me

Erin

Send that picture to me because I look like a badass.

Erin, The Badass

Janine

I don't know what your level of clutter is...

Katie

I'm a bit of a hedonist.

I'm like a dog. I'll get anything you need and I don't mind doing that...

We want to live in the woods and eat vegetables.

As I was reading The Sun -- trying to get ideas about becoming the better person that I want to be…

Lori

I'm assuming you're aware of that....

Lori to me about the Yoga for Foodies event



My Brother

Because I don’t have any tofu…

Sarah

S: I went to school in a castle.

Me: What?


S: It was an old castle. I think that's what it was called -- the old castle.

I just converted my weight to kilos (55) and now I'm depressed. Seriously, I used to be smaller…

Your arms are bigger than my thighs. You're gonna have trouble finding shirts for the winter...

After Sarah squeezed my triceps

I just love breakfast. There’s nothing better -- bread, butter and jam. Those are some of my best memories – having “breakfast dinner.” My mother would buy a big loaf of bread and we’d have coffee….

I miss myself... The one who used to be efficient...

I had some chocolate that was so good. You know that I love hazelnuts and the hazelnuts are caramelized and when you bite into the chocolate, you can tell there’s something different.

May I paint them?

After spotting my uncharacteristically long fingernails.

On The Same Rope

Went climbing after a two and half week hiatus. Walked up to the counter to check in and saw Burke's shining face.

Me: Happy...

Burke: Don't Happy New Year me. Give me a hug.

One of my favorite Burke moments happened as I tried to get over the arête and he yelled Woman power!

Burke told me that he had set new routes. Cool. New year. New routes.

As I belayed for Mike, Frank's friend chit chatted with me. Mike asked for a take and the friend was like I better move on; It's a good thing that you don't talk with your hands. Ah, I've missed rock climbing humor.

Later on as I belayed for Jessica, I noticed that Erin (newbie) had on new shoes. She said that her daughters gave them to her for Christmas. But they're kind of tight with these socks on, she said.

Me: Socks? You can take those off now since you're no longer wearing rental shoes.

Erin: You're a liar.

Me: Look down at my feet. Look at the guy's feet over there. You're supposed to be able to feel the rock better if there's nothing between you and your climbing shoes. I would also advise you to get foot spray...

As I approached my last route, Jessica and I went through safety checks. I looked at my figure eight knot and back-up knot. Jessica checked her carabiner then said And we're on the same rope. I started cracking up. You definitely want to be on the same rope.