Sweet

Sunday's agenda:

A.M. Yoga
Breakfast
Beach
Sunset Yoga
Dinner

Queenly Breakfast

Tree Sitting

Tree Climbing

Snorkeling

Veggie Dinner + Amazing Punch with Ginger

As I swam in sea, rested, ate fruit, got my hair braided, read and walked back into the sea, I had one thought -- This is the life. Gingerzingi, as you predicted, it's been awesome.

We had fun playing today:

Yoga
Breakfast
Glass Bottom Boat
Amazing Vegetarian Dinner
Watching the Sunset
Sitting Around Talking...

It's been sweet.

P.S. I'm semi-unplugged since the WiFi isn't the greatest.

620 MPH or Month-End Review, October

Books have been returned, ripe bananas have been frozen, hair deep conditioned and sunglasses left in the car.

I hurtled through the sky at 620 miles per hour then hurtled, by taxi, from Montego Bay to Negril.

Today's activities were much tougher than the exercises that I engaged in this month. It was a long day of traveling with a 3:00 a.m. wake-up call.

Had a sizable peanut butter banana smoothie in Baltimore which made me have to go to the micro bano on the plane. Not sure how anyone overweight fits into the bano or a seat. I joked with a woman that the airplane toilet was a major incentive to lose weight.

Managed to get in over 10,000 steps walking through airports and whatnot. Forgot to mention that I'm on my first yoga retreat. It was bound to happen at some point, right?

Bicycling, 2 x's

Climbing, 3 x's

Country Line Dance Party!
*Scoot Those Boots, 2 x's
*Ride 'em Cowboy, 2 x's

Gaiam Cardio Kickboxing, 1 x

Just Walk: mix + match
*Short & Sweaty, 2 x's

Just Walk: The Tone Every Tone Walk
*Circuit 1, Upper Body, 1 x

Just Walk: Walk to the Hits: Party Songs
*Mile 2, 2 x's
*Mile 3, 2 x's

P90X
*Kenpo X, 1 x

Walking, 11 x's

Swimming, 2 x's

Yoga, 14 x's

Zumba, 6 x's

Rain Delay

Feeling much better. Not 100% but I'll take the percentage that I'm currently at.

It's been raining all day -- soft but persistent. I'm feeling drained and think the rain is partially responsible...

One of my coworkers doesn't own a car and I asked him where he'd left his poncho. He told me that he didn't need one because he was from the Pacific Northwest. Funny.

Chose a book, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory, off a nonfiction books you should be reading list. 

Really enjoyed this book. It is tightly written and has a lot of heart. Very early in her life, Doughty becomes fascinated with death and she follows that curiosity. 

I have many favorite parts but one that I really like is about Chris, a dogged body remover, who commented on a partner that gave up on removing a four-hundred-pound person from an apartment "I hate people who don't try."

So glad that I spoke up when we were making funeral arrangements for my aunt last year. There are some people who choose embalming then cremation but I didn't see the point of doing bot and also didn't see it as fulfilling my aunt's wishes...

Not Stationary

Yes, a double serving of comfort please.

Why am I so good at hydration when I'm sick and so terrible when I'm not?

Was at the 'Fugee's last night when I noticed how nice her corner looked. Took a few pictures then started paying attention to my meal. My sweet potato black bean burger, spicier than usual, did what I could not do for days -- clear the right side of my nasal cavity. Too bad that "the occupant" moved to the left side. The right side still felt amazing though and left me hopeful that change was on the horizon.

The 'Fugee and I, don't laugh, watched episodes one and two (season one) of Downton Abbey...

Left the 'Fugee's and there was very little traffic and, yet, someone was riding my bumper. However, if I'm not in the passing lane and someone is riding my bumper, I don't move over. Ended up being a cop and it was almost as if he or she was trying to push me over the speed limit so that there would be a reason to pull me over. The cop didn't stop me last night but it's so annoying because I've been stopped more times in the 'Fugee's area than anywhere else. Makes me want to put a bumper sticker on my car: not riding dirty...

No biking today. Tad bit chilly and too windy and I'm feeling Eastern European because I'm afraid of a cross-breeze right now.

Went to Zumba and talked with the newbie who I've dubbed Island Woman. Said woman has expressed concerned about not getting steps right but then came to the conclusion of Do what you can as long as you're not stationary.

Saw this shirt at Marshalls tonight. Really like the concept.

Just Because You Leap

Haven't had coffee in two days -- a sure sign of illness. The thought of coffee made my stomach turn which makes me wonder if it's a good thing to drink at all.

The common cold has me in its clutches again. No swimming. No climbing. I've been pretty much walking up until today when I felt energetic enough to go to Zumba.

Actually, I walked to work and went to Zumba. During my walk, finished listening to the Jane Fonda episode of Death, Sex and Money then started listening to Elizabeth Gilbert's Magic Lessons.

When I listened to Gilbert's first episode, thought it was clever of her marketing peeps to start a podcast as Gilbert's book, Big Magic, was released. I moved from episode one to five which is the last one in the season if I heard correctly. Gilbert interviews her friend Brene Brown who got the Midas touch from Oprah. At any rate, I enjoyed Brown's answer to a question that Gilbert posed.

Gilbert talks about a woman who was angry about being let down by inspiration. The angry woman had an idea, borrowed money, got others involved and she didn't get the results that she wanted.

Brown said that inspiration had not let that woman down and that just because you leap, it doesn't mean that there will be a net. Then Brown said the following:

I leap for the experience through the air, not for the landing. 

Well said Brene Brown. I need to give Daring Greatly another try.

Careful

Be careful what you asked for...

Might have lost my photos to a restore but Patti took some as well and, so, there was photographic proof of just how much I've chunked up.

I just make myself work harder now. No one wonder I had tender biceps from trying to haul myself upwards. At any rate, I still appreciate all the things that my body can do.

Patti Dangling Above Me

Even The Big Kids Got One

Walked to work this morning and thought I'd try a new podcast but switched gears about six minutes into Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig. I'll give it a try later on down the line. Instead, I listened to How Does a Mediator Work?, from Slate's Working lineup. A giant thumbs up from me. I enjoyed listening to the mediator/shamanic healer. Energy work fascinates me.

Liked what Clemants had to say about people with heavy energy -- how they walk into a room and make you want to move away. Clemants said they haven't done the work to get rid of that heavy energy...

On another note, one of my coworkers said that she had a very realistic dream about me. I was upset about work apparently.

About Leaving The Forest Floor

No Saturday bicycling as partners in crime had restrictions on their time. Plus, it was a little chilly and windy for riverfront cycling.

Alison and I went to Zumba instead. There were a bunch of newbies who looked like they belonged to the same family. As the first member left early, I encouraged her stay but she said I'm headed back to the treadmill. It's too much jiggling for me. Hilarious!

Thought I had all the time in the world but barely had enough time to grab lunch before I headed out to the Shaw Nature Reserve for a canopy climbing workshop.

The trees are spectacular right now so the drive was amazing.

As I hauled myself upwards, didn't feel an ounce of trepidation about leaving the forest floor. I guess that's one of rock climbing's gifts to me.

Canopy climbing requires a lot of coordination and I had a hard time pushing one rope up and then pushing my foot strap up etc. I never got the right balance and, as a result, I was almost in a reclining position on the way up which made my body very tense. But Patti? That woman's a natural at climbing and she had ascended two trees, almost, before I got one in.

There was a young lady who was also a natural...

Patti In Her Element

\Drove home and made another pit stop before my trip to the Apple store. My iPod, even with a restore, has still been glitchy and I couldn't back it up. With an appointment, I still had to wait 30 minutes in the super crowded store. As my Aunt Al says about Walmart, you would think Apple is giving stuff away.

As I sat there and waited, I was on the verge of tears. Tiredness was getting the best of me but I do have to say that Apple employees have very good customer service skills. Never saw the technician as the guy who did my intake ran a diagnostic and there were still several issues so he gave me a new iPod.

When I saw that my Ipod couldn't be backed up, did an update on Google Photos to preserve the rest of my pictures from canopy climb but looks like they were lost. F@!$