A Little Yellow Tag

As I got dressed for work on Friday, my shoulder blade had a different idea. Didn't think that I would be able to get my shirt over my head but I sat there and tried to take deep breaths. Only, I couldn't take a deep breath and when I attempted to, it made me feel the discomfort in the shoulder blade. Eventually, the sensation lessened enough for me to get out the door. Who's stressed out?

Last night the 'Fugee went to a concert so I went to Macy's looking for cross trainers because I have a Macy's gift certificate but I haven't been able to find any clothes or shoes there that I like. Headed to Marshalls and was shocked to see Asmira because I thought she had gone to the same concert that the 'Fugee went to.

Asmira was doing what a lot of the diaspora does -- buy clothes for folks in Bosnia. After I said goodbye to Asmira, ran into another Bosnian who happens to be a fitness machine and talking to her got me motivated to up my bicycling game.

Went to Zumba this morning and it was a big and super fun class. Alisha's energy is off the chart. This woman from Nepal is a gym newbie who hadn't been in three weeks but her husband noticed and said something about paying without attendance so she is recommitting herself but it's not her recommitting that I found touching; it was the story that she told me about changing jobs. She took a lower paying job to work with her sister who is a new arrival and who had to spend long hours away from home because she had to rely on public transportation...

At Marshall's yesterday, I had to resist the urge to buy a reusable bag that I didn't need and, today, I bought Capri that Asmira would not have approved of because they didn't have a yellow tag.

Also, not sure why Marshalls has such bright lights in their dressing rooms. Seriously? I don't need everything illuminated.

Reusable Bag

Under Armour Capri

Honestly

Went to restorative yoga after work but, honestly, I feel so depleted by the end of the week that it's hard to convince myself to go.

After yoga headed to the 'Fugee's and then we headed to Asmira's who invited  us over. Think that I ate a gazillion calories and since Asmira is the hostess with the mostest, she kept offering food and beverages. I straight up didn't have to eat everything that was offered, I know...

Asmira told us that she wants to go to Mecca this year. My response to most people with bucket list items is -- Do it! I keep encouraging people to throw caution to the wind and I need to practice it in my own life. I am dragging my feet on purchasing a car because I feel a bit spoiled about not driving my 15 year-old car longer. I keep telling myself that it's not the end of the world if I don't make the wisest decision or if I don't get the perfect deal and I've had enough harbingers to know that I'm making the right decision...

Went to the library and picked up a few magazines including the January issue of Bon Appetit. Liked the interview with Sam Kass, former White House chef.

When we forget about the broccoli in the crisper, we're also throwing out the water and energy that went into it.

The Back of the Napkin interview is with Ice Cube. Love what he says about moderation. "Keep your sanity," he says. "If you want a burger, eat half a burger. Want a bag of potato chips? Eat half a bag." The interviewer asked Ice Cube if all bets were off, what would he eat and, so, he wrote it on the back of napkin. In that spirit, I wrote what we had to eat yesterday on the back of a napkin.

Seriously? Who can turn down this six layer confection?*

*Except for the 'Fugee who is not a big eater of sweets. Seriously? She ate it but didn't relish it like I did.

Unprecedented Indulgence

Pretty much invited myself to Asmira's since her birthday was earlier in the week and I was still in possession of 2013's gift.

Called myself avoiding the dinner hour but...

For Asmira (and Alison), hospitality is high art. I could retreat to either woman's house and feel at ease. Tucked away. Comfortable. Safe.

I started off with the 3.5 cups of green tea -- extra delicious because of the organic honey that I put in there and I don't usually sweeten my tea.

Asmira then offered me cake and cookies left over from her daughter's baby shower and it was a thick piece (not the one below).

Asmira also fed me broccoli and cheese soup which I dunked bread into. Also had cheese and crackers. I later emailed Alison and told her that I was pretty sure that I'd eaten 5,000 calories.

Asmira's confections

It's been a long time since I've had so much sugar...

I was at the 'Fugee's on Friday and one of her friend's popped in. When he found out that she was having dinner with two people, he stopped by Aldi's, put on an elf hat and delivered these gingerbread situations.

I've also been given Godiva and my aunt made me a personal pan of sweet potato pie.

Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

I may never recover...

...Genuinely Nice

Asmira's sugar-free, fat-free masterpiece.

I am not a party person so when my aunt asked about my yoga party, I quickly called it by another name --- a birthday yoga class.

Wanted to have a yoga class for the b-day last year but sat on the fence too long. I still had the urge so I thought about where I could have it and who would guide.

I asked Gloria and her answer was a supersized yes and I still have not found the appropriate words to convey how thankful I am.

I sent out invitations and asked people not to bring gifts. Why did you tell people not to bring anything? one of my friends asked. It feels good to be able to sing those Tuck and Patti lyrics: I have just about everything I need. Although, I will admit that I cannot resist the lure of workout clothes and I'm often tempted to buy more workout equipment.

The Gifts That I Was Not Supposed To Get

Today didn't go as I planned but it was a wonderful opportunity to practice yoga principles and to witness how magnanimous people can be. Even though it didn't go exactly as planned, it turned out beautifully. The energy was really good and I think that everyone enjoyed themselves.

Even Borat said: It (the birthday yoga class) was genuinely nice.

Thanks so much to everyone for making it such a lovely day.

Lori Revisiting Plank. Borat and I Content With Sukhasana (Easy Pose)

A Deeper Look Inside of Asmira's Confection

A Closer Look at the Calla Lilies

Favorite Gloria-ism of the day: Every time (birthday) you step on your yoga mat, it's an opportunity to have a clean slate. Gloria said it much nicer but you get the picture.

Gloria also threw in eagle pose which tends to make me cringe. I totally saw my "office wife" nod in the affirmative when Gloria said that sometimes the poses that we like the least are the ones that we need to do the most.

Melinda would totally agree with this quote by Paris Hilton that Gloria read at the beginning of class:

The way I see it, you should live every day like it's your birthday.

One of the most memorably moments from the class, besides grunting from the newbies, was a post-savasana Gloria saying: Make a beautiful spine and the sun from the sky light falling across her face.

Can Feel The Warmth of The Coffee Cup That I Will Have In My Hands...

One More Time

On any given Sunday, there are lots of cars at the gym that belong to yogis. It's an impressive procession for Gloria's 11 a.m. class and she's told us before that the class is not full until there's one hand space between each mat.

After class started, a young man walked in and Gloria told him that there was still room -- ending with I don't know where...

Modeling for us, Gloria moved her mat over and the final yogi joined us for the morning.

I think we all know by now to watch out for our neighbors when extending arms or legs. My yoga neighbor was completely parallel to me and I was totally fine with it. Energy-wise, I'm growing fond of being in proximity to others while practicing.

Gloria started off class by reading excerpts from Yoga Over 50, I think. The first excerpt was about how rejuvenation of the body is totally possible at 50 and beyond. Gloria looked out at the mostly under 50 crowd and said You'll realize this when you're lucky enough to reach that age....A Deepak Chopra passage was next. I don't fully remember it but it was something about spirituality plus your body being your ally...

Last night, I picked up the 'fugee then headed to Asmira's who's also a 'fugee. So, I guess it was an evening with the 'fugees. After dinner, Asmira's husband, Izet, played ping pong with me. I haven't played ping pong in decades and Izet had to give me pointers about which direction to turn the paddle in if I was hitting the ball from the left or right side etc. I was surprised by how fatigued my arm got after a short time but ping pong is so addictive and so much fun. Had I been in the right attire, short-sleeves, and thought to bring water with me, I could have played ping pong all night. As it was I kept saying, One more time. Okay, one more time...one more time...


Also, if you haven't seen it, check out Ping Pong Playa -- cute movie.

The Water Will Welcome You

3+...The number of minutes it took me to descend the ladder into the hellishly cold pool water.

2...Number of minutes it took me to submerge my head into same chilly water.

1...Amount of laps that I got in before Chatty Kathleen arrived.

1/2...Lap that I got in before an almost full-scale wardrobe malfunction.

At one point, Kathleen and I were down in the deep end. She wanted to know if I could just hang out without treading and, truth be told, I don't spend much time treading water. I just go from one end to the other when I'm not making wardrobe adjustments.

Kathleen demonstrated how to keep one's head above water without moving a limb.

It's about balance and, once you relax, the water will welcome you and hold you up, she said.

My swimming suit provided the aggravation for today and don't think that I haven't tried to secure a back-up swimsuit. I'm getting ready to send suit number two back to Swim Outlet.

Second Attempt to Get Back-Up Suit
It's really weird. I feel like my collar bone is disappearing again and that I've chunked up and, yet, the upper part of my swimming suit is out of sorts. The material looks like it's in good shape but who knows. In addition, a pair of pants that I bought three years ago still fits comfortably; so, I should just chill out.

Remember how I said that I had virtually no wants for my birthday? Well, I have been looking for a lightweight jacket for this time of year. I've also wanted a personal shopper. Be careful what you ask for. I was accompanied by two pretty good shoppers but one, Asmira, is like the undisputed heavyweight champion of bargain shopping. She found so many jackets for me; I chose two and refused to look at anymore because having more decisions would only cause me to bite my fingernails. Asmira also found a $5.50 workout top. You can never have too many workout tops, right?

I just might need my personal shopper to venture into the aquatics department as well.

I've really enjoyed this swimsuit. Hope that I'll be able to find another like it.

Redemption Song

I guess you could call this a debriefing, of sorts, from yesterday's experience.

Ironically, as I was waiting and waiting for the chiropractor and upset that I didn't follow my first and second mind to walk out the door, I was thinking that I hadn't gotten properly angry in a while, which is good because when I get angry it takes me so long to come down from that anger high.

Initially, I had no idea how long I had waited since I don't normally wear a watch and, like a casino, there were no clocks in the chiropractor's office. I watched as he went from one room to another -- sometimes at a frenetic pace -- manipulating people's lower bodies on weird tables that rotated.

I kept thinking that I didn't even really want him to touch me because he was in such a frenzy. There was not one thing -- not one that was relaxing about the few minutes of acupressure that he did provide. In fact, I was praying that he hadn't done damage. I was also miffed because I didn't have anything to keep me occupied. Not a book or an MP3 player. When I go to get my hair cut, I take a book because there's always the possibility that waiting will occur. This clown didn't even have magazines in his office. I digressed though.

I had gotten off of work (two hours) early because we had our annual holiday party and I felt like I just wasted the gift of precious, extra time. In addition, I was supposed to meet my friend Hazira at a certain time then we were to proceed to another friend's home (Asmira) by a certain time. I'm not going to mention the fact that I wanted to stop by Big Lots to find Wasa crackers and such.

I threw three people's schedule off. When I picked up Hazira, I was good and angry at this point and, when I get angry, I can't talk. I can bang on the steering wheel but I can't talk. Don't worry. The banging is brief and I have yet to break my hand in this manner...

We arrived at Asmira's and Hazira sat down for an interview with a student. Asmira told me that I could just chill out and I asked if I could use a computer so that I could dispense with some of the yuckiness. Asmira quickly set me up AND brought me a huge mug of green tea with a touch of organic honey and lemons on the side. The cup said The Boss. Hee-hee.

After I wrote for a bit, I got busy with Asmira's Wii. Then, we had dinner of baked fish, vegetables, salad with Craisins, walnuts, blue cheese and spinach, Russian bread etc.

It was a great meal and the company was great too. I laughed especially when Asmira's husband came home and told me that The Boss cup belonged to him.

Whenever I've been a guest at Asmira's house, I feel immediately at home. The house is warmly decorated but that's not it. I feel as if I could stay forever. It has the feel of a bed and breakfast or sanctuary. What it is, though, is Asmira -- her hospitality is huge.

After 11 p.m., we were joking about overstaying our welcome. Asmira told us how Bosnians joke and say:

We are going to bed so that the guests can go home.

It sounded much better when she said it but what I'm going to say is that my evening was redeemed by Asmira's hospitality. Thanks woman and my apologies to Hazira for a rather intense ride...

I'm pretty much pain free -- another valuable realization from yesterday's experience.

Bosnian Hospitality

I asked for a few cookies because I couldn't resist. Plus, I know the cook and she is good odlično (excellent). A few cookies ended up being about five pounds plus some potato (krompir) pita.




I just stared at the dessert plate, which should have come with police caution tape, and tried to summon all of my self-control because I know that I'm capable of diving in without surfacing for awhile.

Today's my birthday, though, and I'm going to have a few b-day cookies, especially since I spent some time on the StairMaster this morning.

CCPS Jones

It's starting to feel a lot like Christmas in June. On Tuesday, one of my work cronies, Julie, left a mint plant on my desk. Julie's been nice enough to bring me batches of mint from her garden. Her mint has huge leaves and a wonderful aroma.


Yesterday Kelly, another buddy, brought me some mint. Kelly's mint smelled like Wrigley's Spearmint gum and she mentioned that it might actually be chocolate mint.


I had no idea that there was such a huge variety of mint. I was telling yet another co-worker, Karen, about this lemon situation in my backyard and she said that it was probably mint. That's when Karen hipped me to the fact that there is lemon mint and chocolate mint etc. etc.

Now, I don't know if Kelly's mint is chocolate mint but it smells and tastes divine; biting into makes your mouth come alive.

Awhile back, a fourth co-worker, Asmira, also potted some mint for me.


I have to report that it did not make it which wasn't too devastating seeing that it had no fragrance which is half the mint experience for me.

Today, one of my aunts gave me five boxes of Bogdon's chocolate-covered peppermint sticks (CCPS).


See, I got her addicted towards the end of last year but she got tired of Bogdon's and I inherited the sticks. I wish that my cravings petered out so fast.

It's funny that Kelly should bring me the mint because she is responsible for my chocolate-covered peppermint jones. Several years ago, she had a holiday get-together and she had these reception sticks that came from Trader Joe's. Of course, I immediately found my way to Trader Joe's to get my own stash. The reception sticks were seasonal and, because I had a jones for CCPS, Trader Joe's stopped selling them. I did not see this as a huge problem; I just went searching.

Eventually, I found some at the Walmart in O'Fallon, IL. Because I did not want to cross the river too often, I always got several 8.5 oz containers. Eventually, WalMart stopped selling the CCPS. I found other CCPS but none with the four pieces for 70 calories stat.

Eventually, I started seeing the CCPS at Big Lots and that's where I've been getting my supply ever since.

The Gift of Mint

One of my friends at work noticed that I was drinking mint water. I don't really grow things and I once turned down a neighbor who wanted me to water her plants because I didn't want her to return to yellowed leaves or out-and-out lifeless plants.

Water becomes rather flat to me after drinking it for awhile and in order to drink more of it, I try to lively it up by adding mint or lemon juice. Water with mint (left in overnight) has a subtle flavor. The aroma is a big bonus and I feel treated with each sip.

I had been scoring my mint at Dierbergs. No more. Asmira was nice enough to plant some mint for me. It's amazing how small gestures and things make me happy. I was so freakin' touched. When Asmira handed me the mint, she said don't thank me. What? Of course, that's the first thing that I wanted to do. Then, I wanted to barter. Finally, I just enjoyed the moment. Asmira's gift made me all warm inside even though it was cool and damp out.