whada ya thinkin

2009-04-22T21:19:00.000-05:00

#3 DONE! Got up early for a week to practice Yoga… in fact finishing week three! This has been a wonderful habit and great way to get my daily practice in. Just didn’t think that with all the classes I teach this would be manageable. But even with 5 classes on a given day… been still getting my practice in AND working out! Still too hard to tally mark #1 :S
#5 Yoga Among Friends and Bryan Kest at home (4)
#19 gave inventory away as a gift… still more to purge but it’s a start.
#22 DONE! Completed Yoga Fit Level 2 training! It also helped to bring me back to my own practice and journal daily.
#25 (almost) DONE! Have met all the criteria for my AFAA cert… just waiting for it to come in the mail.
#45 DONE! Burned a CD for Jim (actually 2… should I take double credit?)
#59 DONE! The curtains are hung!
#86… got a prescription for a mammogram… now I just have to schedule it strategically so it’s after that tender time of the month… and I’m a little scared… been putting it off. :S

2009-03-05T18:15:00.004-06:00

I hope everyone is doing well! :D
A few things to tick off:

#22 Delighted to have registered for YogaFit Level 2 training for the last weekend of March!

#24 DONE! Took advantage of the AFAA Apex and completed a workshop for CEUs all day Sunday, February 8th. It was called Midlife Fitness for Women and I really enjoyed the topic, all the other instructors and the presenter Rhonda Mayes and plan to read her book Transforming U (The True Weight Loss Bible). I met an instructor there who works at a spa near Kankakee... they hire instructors to teach the classes they offer and you get to use the all inclusive facilities and bring a guest (or take wages) and are treated to a massage! Sounds like a mini version of the working vacation listed as #40... planning to look into it. :D

#29 DONE! Using Face Book for networking, thanks Susanne.

#33 Met with my friend and fellow instructor January 8th for lunch and discussed aqua classes... now at least I know a bit about the formats and the using the properties of the water. Most of the working vacations include AM/PM Yoga but some like an Aqua (or other) class during the day... not sure I'm interested enough in it to be certified, but when I'm ready to plan an actual working vacation, I'm confident I could put together a nice class.

#37 DONE! I have followed through with several leads for new classes and have picked up a new corporate noon-time and finally filled my two Tuesday mornings beginning this summer for the Woodridge Park District Program classes... I couldn't possible fit any more classes really and will consider rearranging my schedule even more to work at higher pay rates if things go well... so far so good. ;)

#41 Have been studying three work related books, Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, The Essentials of Yoga, and The Pilates Back Book.

#52 Out of pure necessity, purged some items from under the bathroom sink... isn't it amazing how the universe can give you a little nudge? Have you noticed how just about all the font under "household" on my list is still black? Well, I did and felt kinda bad about it when the pipe burst under the sink. :S Cleaned some of that all out... much hit the trash, some was salvageable but since I was forced to reexamine it... brought it to the White Elephant party in January... perfect timing (thanks again Susanne).

#59 Is almost done... got the curtain rod for Christmas but have yet to put it up. :S

#90 Gave away ten books at the media exchange party (thanks Susanne... Susanne really rocks)!

2008-12-18T18:16:00.002-06:00

#87 DONE!
Wow! I can hardly believe that I get to tick this one off already.
To be honest I wasn’t sure I could do it and was very willing to put it off.
There hasn’t been a whole lot of ticking off items lately or blogging about much.
This makes up for it. It’s definitely the hardest most dreaded task of all 101.
Are you wondering what #87 is yet?
Only those very close to me know what it is since it’s marked "private".
I quit smoking. It’s been over a week and it’s still hard but I’m hanging in there. Those commit lozenges are helping.

New Job

2008-11-11T12:56:00.002-06:00

#1. Having trouble keeping track daily asana *sigh. Still want to pursue this… but almost feel like giving up at ticking it off daily… what’s the point? Paying the five bucks to charity anyway for not completing it daily. :S
#3. With the end of daylight savings time around here, been considering getting up early to practice every morning.
#22. YogaFit level two is going to have to be pushed to early next year. Just can’t afford it at this time. The good news is the reason we can’t swing it… Amanda’s cheer squad is advancing to a National competition in Florida next month. Woot woot go WILDCATS!
#26. DONE! Re-certified for CPR/AED.
#37. Followed 4 new job leads… only two resulted in actually giving my resume (counting this as 2 of 3). Hey guess what? One of those leads got me a new job! Two noon time classes, close by at a high pay rate. Go ME.
#41. Studied some work related books. Ashtanga Yoga and The Language of Yoga.
#71. Suggested a night out at a casino for date night (#72) but the idea didn’t fly… wish things weren’t so tight right now. Things will look up… gonna keep pushing on. ;)
#74. Returned the book after about a year. Ugh.
#90. Set 7 more books free… some were bookrings… but still…
#99. I am now paperless! Five locations ALL direct deposit. Four locations on-line pay statements. On-line banking with on-line statements. What a relief this is… I hated managing all those papers anyway.
Also for #99, now in the habit of using reusable shopping bags.

Rainy days and Mondays

2008-09-17T16:53:00.003-05:00

Yes, I've been feeling a little down.
Here are a few things that have cheered me back up though:
I had such a nice brunch with some fellow 101 bloggers (also BookCrossers and GoodReads readers) here is a pic of us outside Toast 2 in Chicago. As you can see it was still raining from Ike the terrible... I hear we got more rain than TX! Bethany and me are in the picture, and Latharia was our picture taker (see their 101 lists on the side-bar to the right). It was such a good time... and yummy too, right girls?
Also, I'm feeling a little bit better. I had been so hopeful that the new orthotics would be the key to getting over the foot pain... but a week ago Monday (a very rainy day as well) I was pretty filled with doubt and frustration since so much pain persisted. After a little cry and half an order of 13 chocolate chip cookies from McDonald's and three huge glasses of milk... well then I was filled with milk cookies and queasiness really. But THEN, I started to feel better. Dr. Shelly had me read The Fat Flush Plan (maybe this will help me with #85 see my tummy muscles too?). Anyway, the plan should help with inflammation. The Zone diet also helps with inflammation and I've tried to adjust my diet (I know, I know, except for that whole cookie episode) and have made some of the recipes. So maybe now all the good nutrition is starting to kick in.
Our bowling league started back up! Yes, it's good to get out and all, but I also had tendinitis in my elbow. It did hurt while bowling and I tried to be very cautious and iced it when we got home. Here is the funny thing though... it actually feels better! Isn't that weird? Dr. Shelly says it prolly broke up the adhesion. :P
Well I don't have anything to tick off the list at this point... but I haven't been slacking off really either.
#1 Been doing the daily practice for the most part but lost track of how many days it's been. I'll have to review the calendar and count all over grrrr, but at least I did mark it.
#5 Also have lost track but I did do it... to videos and that counts.
#90 Gosh I got behind on setting a book free per month this summer... but I did just search out people who had wish lists for books I have and offered them up to them.
#43 I have been searching for music mixing software... but I don't want to download one until I'm sure it fits my needs.
#44 I may not need to make music mixes after all... I got an ipod for my b-day and can just add play lists to it.
#37 I don't have an audition yet, but did drop off a resume at Five Seasons (they want instructors for night so that might not work out) and called a country club near me to see if they offer classes... they don't.
Looks like I need to get my butt in gear with household stuff... I'll try and tick some of those off soon!

2008-08-24T16:52:00.001-05:00

#81 DONE! Finally got direct deposit from all employers. :D Still need to go paperless for bank statements (then it'll be greener living... saves on gas too!) paperless for check stubs is cool!

#82 DONE! Paid off our living room set woohoo.

#83 Save for vacations... Gently started this one. With that Keep Change Program and a $50 bonus for opening the new accounts we've managed to put a small amount away that we haven't touched. Took a little trip to MI and visited Mom too... (see pics below)

#69 DONE! We have new bowling partners and the league starts up again in a few weeks.

UP of Michigan

2008-08-24T16:25:00.010-05:00

Amanda by the BIG LAKE!

It's COLD!

Caitlyn DROVE!

Mom and the girls on the front porch of the B&B

HAPPY FEET!

2008-07-31T21:59:00.004-05:00

Ecstatically happy to have completed #88! Got the new foot leveler orthotics Wednesday night. I could cry I’m so happy! It’s been almost three years struggling with foot pain and other related injuries up the spine. The old orthotics were like trying to get use to walking around with bricks in your shoes… these feel pillow-y and comfortable… it will still take some getting use to. The old ones pushed my foot out… with these I can now walk on the medial side of my upper foot… the bones are cracking like crazy trying to adjust and the muscles in my feet feel a bit tired… I’m very hopeful that they will be just what I need.
Let’s celebrate with this cool montage from Moulin Rouge…

Yoga with an unfocused mind

2008-07-27T12:51:00.003-05:00

Me, first thing this morning, talking to myself "I should practice Yoga outside today". It is beautiful out and it’s so enjoyable to have the sun shining on you… feel the breeze against your skin… be connected with nature. "I wonder if that free class at the studio is today?" Goes to computer to check the online schedule repeating the mantra "I will not play cards or anything else… I’m just looking at the schedule". Nope. It’s next week, (birthday party for my youngest that day so that wont work) but there is a 12 o’clock that’s level one and two with an instructor I haven’t met yet. Okay, reading through the bios real quick… she’s not on there. Humph. It’ll be $15 and I do have $20. Outside we go…
Takes the blue mat since the most favorite really sticky purple one has just been washed (also washed: the mat bag, gym bag, work-bag, and purse *of which I forgot to empty the cosmetic pocket*… but that’s a whole 'nother tangent).
Walking deep into the back yard to find a sunny spot "The grass is more damp than I thought". Hears rustling "A SNAKE!" he’s cute, follows him trying to get a little touch of his tail before he slithers under the over grown with weeds and unplanted garden.
Spreads out the mat and steps onto it for Mountain pose facing the sun… it bunches under the feet. Tries sunny spot number two "This is not working". Spot number three, same thing. "Forget the mat". Getting grounded on the lumpy grass is a bit challenging. Something bites me on the ankle "I’m sharing the outdoors with nature, right?" Forward folds and brushes off ankle. Tree pose ought to help and goes well. Adds a little half lotus and forward fold then tries to squat down and balance on one foot "That’s not gonna happen". Firmly plants hands and feet in plank position and plans on staying there a few breaths before lowering down. A wasp lands underneath "Okay, Down-Dog then… See? It works out". The wasp (or maybe another wasp) buzzes around right leg, lifts the right foot "I can flow with this". One ant crawls up the left arm another up the left leg… the leg one tries to crawl into the shorts.
Plan B the back deck… there is no sun yet. "The front deck will be sunny" (but it’s viewable from the street… I don’t mind being seen, especially by just the neighbors, and once one of them joined me… it was nice. I would just rather not be a spectacle). Kicks off the thorny looking Horse Chestnuts and spreads the mat out on the front deck, which is nice and sunny. "Ah, much better". Runs through Sun Salutations A then Sun B, a horn blares "I hope I don’t cause an accident". Next came Warrior One, Two and Revolved Warrior. Side angle feels great with a nice bind. Hangs out in Down-Dog "People must wonder if I’m real". Makes a tripod headstand then gets those knees up onto the elbows and pushes up into Crow. One more headstand tucking the front of the shirt in first "If I fall I’ll just round my back… or try and fall forward" (really I was scared and didn’t straighten up like usual). Savasana "Now I just look like I’m sunbathing… with shorts on and a T-shirt… time to blog about this". So went this morning’s practice. ;)

SWIPED FROM A BLOG

2008-07-13T21:53:00.003-05:00

The "Big Read" reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they’ve printed.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read. (GREEN)
3) Underline the books you LOVE. (Can't underline :S)
4) Strike out the books you have no intention of ever reading, or were forced to read at school and hated. (BROWN... since I can't cross through... how are you people doing this?)
5) Gray out those you are unfamiliar with.
6) Reprint this list in your own blog so we can try and track down these people who’ve read 6 and force books upon them ;-)

1 Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations Charles Dickens
11 Little Women Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the d'Urbervilles Thomas Hardy
13 Catch-22 Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare William Shakespeare
15 Rebecca Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler's Wife Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia CS Lewis
34 Emma Jane Austen
35 Persuasion Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin Louis de Bernières
39 Memoirs of a Geisha Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh AA Milne
41 Animal Farm George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney, John Irving
45 The Woman in White Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies William Golding
50 Atonement Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi Yann Martel
52 Dune Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
62 Lolita Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist Charles Dickens
72 Dracula Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory Iain Banks
94 Watership Down Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl
100 Les Misérables Victor Hugo

Funny... I just checked out Jane Austen's Persuasion. Seven for me... ABOVE average (wink wink). Some in grey I've heard of... or recognise the authors... but don't know much about. If you have a rave review of 'em or some that are browned out... let me know so I don't overlook it! Looks like I have quite a bit of reading to do. :P
PS I've read some of the Bible... just not all of it.

I'M BACK

2008-07-09T18:15:00.004-05:00

For your listening/viewing pleasure as we catch up...

#65 DONE! June 14 was our garage sale… it was father’s day weekend. A really stupid time for our town’s annual garage sale! We should be spoiling our Dads/Hubbies not putting ‘em to work… but I don’t get to pick the date and hubby helped even though he hates that kind-of stuff and had other things to do. I happened to be off for floor refinishing at work and the timing was right. The weather was bad so we could only make one day of it… oh well. 65 bucks is better than nothing. Took the clothes that didn’t go to Plato’s closet… they picked through it and gave us 42 bucks for what they wanted. Another $21 from Once Upon A Child. We did a good job (this time) of really getting rid of (most of) the stuff that didn’t sell! Dropped off EIGHT bags of clothes, shoes (#92) and bedding to Good Will another THREE bags to Gingham Tree along with 2 boxes of assorted decorative type items. Some stuff hit the curb. Spent the money on hubby. ;)
#81 Can you believe I still don’t have direct deposit? After over two months! They’ve been paying me on this stupid pay card and just leave me hanging as to what the problem could possibly be. UGH! I’d been forbidden to call pay roll… the only info available was a fax number. DON’T THESE PEOPLE KNOW I’M ON A 101 MISSION HERE? ROFL! Anyway finally after all this time they gave me a number and direct deposit didn’t go through because of the temporary check affixed. Requesting a letter from the bank. :S
#88 Stumbled upon a place (right at work… went in for a $15 massage) that takes my insurance and has the orthotics I so desperately need! Do you think if you put it out there… you know? State your intentions like we are doing… that the universe guides you to what you need? Maybe we shouldn’t be trying so hard? Just put it out there and let it come. They are on order. :D
#90 Set "The Lovely Bones" free on a stationary bike… someone saw me and took it. She came to class (it was Rebounding Interval Training =intense) made it about half way through and said "Thanks for the book!" as she left… no journal entry though. :S
#98 DONE! July 1st cleaned up all the garbage I could see at the highway exit ramp near work! Two hours and TWO bags full (one of garbage and one recycling)! People hollered out "God bless you" and "Thank you" as they drove bye. Cool! Plus, I found a buck. :P Took my dollar reward and bought a HUGE Arizona tea and chugged it on the way home… so thirsty out in the hot sun.
#99 Been trying to go paperless for paychecks and bank statements… not quite there yet. Picked up these cute beach bags from the dollar store in hopes to use them as shopping bags. They are made of tough cloth that is sort of waterproof, but just a little too small for groceries. Oh well, my youngest kept one and I’m still using the others until I make/buy something better.
For the other stuff on the big list… just gonna do what I can. Trying still to hit that daily practice… but noticed others take "moon days"… whatever that is besides a day off I don’t know yet. As far as attending other classes weekly since there is no way I’m going to attempt that anymore… maybe once a month will suffice… with the option of doing a video at home. We haven’t hit "Date night" very hard lately and it’s still hard to make time with my oldest since she wants to sleep all day, be up all night and hang out with her friends/bf… understandable. ;)

Not Blogging

2008-06-15T13:12:00.003-05:00

Several things have kept me from blogging (seems that others have been a bit light on their entries as well… hehehe).
1. Life has been busy and while your trying to keep up with everything it’s hard to find time to post updates.
2. Been feeling a bit discouraged about the list for a few reasons:
A) While I tried to give myself some latitude for these projects in order to keep them manageable… I feel guilty for not giving the effort that was intended. For example; number one, I fully intended to do a full daily practice of my own and the ten minutes that was stipulated was meant to keep me going at it daily even if I was exhausted or ill. Or in case there was such time constraints that I really couldn’t manage more. But more often then not, ten minutes has been the only effort made. For number seventy-five, the intention was to dedicate time to each of the girls… real one-on-one time where they have my full attention. We could have fun together and talk so that they could feel heard and know that they are a huge priority. This should really be a daily thing… but I only put weekly because I pictured us taking walks together, going out for ice cream or something fun… and that’s not what we’ve been doing. I realized there was a recent week that there was no real time spent with my oldest… and that is sad! Mentioned it while dropping her off to yet another activity and she suggested we catch a movie the next day. I need to make more of an effort at this goal… they grow up too fast not to.
B) Number five has become unreasonable to expect weekly… and I just don’t know how to feel or what to do about it.
C) Comments were made to me that seem to suggest that others think there are items that I could not or would not expect to do myself. That really stings! I deliberately did not include things that I didn’t fully intend on putting forth effort to accomplish… Yes, I CAN paint a fucking shelf!
Sharing the list publicly is a way of being accountable for it, right? It’s a way to get support and encouragement… network ideas, share your passion… share a hope for a better future… perhaps inspire others. Am I wrong here? Here is the final bit of discouragement:
D) Seems that the list has become a topic of conversations that have concluded with the general consensus that I’m self-absorbed and my list proves it. Well, I’m baffled and hurt. How do you make a list like this that is not pretty much all about you? There are things on there that are for "the greater good"… but really, it’s 101 things that I care about either way.

Fun time

2008-05-26T13:31:00.002-05:00

#1 & 5 Did a good job of practicing every day, and stayed for a Yoga class on Saturday... tried my best but my foot was cramping and legs felt really fatigued.

#90 Set a book free on an exercise bike. Check out my "available" books... that I'd love to share!

#72 Started a date night! Hubby's idea to fire up the grill and make fajitas together. We played bags in the back yard. When it got cool as the sun went down... rented a movie with hubby's instructions to pick one that had a lot of action with stuff that blows up or something. I got PS I love You hehehe (the girls and I watched it Sunday) and The Last Samurai was our date night movie. It was fun.

Lucky 78, The Score

2008-05-18T22:30:00.002-05:00

No, #78 isn't so very lucky and it's not a very good bowling score... with shiny new ball and shoes... but it was the prize winning number. Winning the whole pot! Nice way to finish out the season huh? =D

#1 and 5 at YogaAmongFriends.com It was a sub and found myself being critical and no matter how many times I said "just shut-up!" to my busy mind *grrrr* ...I couldn't ...even though there were many positive things about class to focus on. She used a great mantra during breath... just (inhale), this (exhale).

#34 REPERTOIRE hehehe Thanks Gail T!

#75 Went to visit C at her new job... got some ice cream and left her a big tip. Also keeping the talk lines open... yeesh teens and tweens can get so busy and kinda crabby.

Thanks Cassandra for the mention of "Wild in the Wind" checked Essential Nina 2 and it's not on there. :S This is a link to a great clip of it. I do remember it... completely awesome highly emotional... maybe they used it to create the Score in Point of No Return (what do you think Leah?). Got a pretty good ear... but it's so hard to articulate what I'm hearing.

Electric Boobs...

2008-05-17T16:33:00.004-05:00

That’s what we (my best friend in grade school and me) thought Elton John was singing in the song Benny and the Jets. The girls and I watched 27 Dresses for some Q-time (#75) and there was a cute scene that reminded me of her. Emailed her (#78) this link and we took a fun trip down memory lane. Here are the real lyrics. Never would have guessed most of those words… Did you know ‘em?

#1 Been keeping up with practice with the exception of last Thursday… very disappointed to have missed a day already… figured if something came up like an illness there were always restorative poses to keep this goal manageable… but trying to chalk the whole thing up to a learning experience. Finding each Thursday to be the hardest day to get it in for some reason... just going to try and be a little more mindful.

#30 Still kicking around the idea of consulting with Shannon and met with Pam (#31) on Thursday… also tried to do some research on my own and found some articles online: Making a fitness video, selling books/CDs/DVDs on amazon. It’s a start. ;)
Pam is wonderful! She treated me to a nice lunch at Sweet Tomatoes and presented her ideas for making a Yoga video. She seems to have every confidence in me and is willing to put herself out on a limb quite a bit as far as production costs. There is a severe case of monkey mind going on here… swinging back and forth between excitedly planning this project out and thoughts of self-doubt. :S With nearly seventeen hundred Yoga titles available on Amazon and the realization that this video will not likely be the next Tae Bo… I better be certain that I know why I’m doing this.

Made friends via email with Abby Lentz who has a Yoga studio in TX and was quoted in a recent online article. We have been corresponding about Yoga for heavier people (her expertise) and coincidentally she is working on her second video! Her first video is: HeavyWeight Yoga: Yoga for the Body You Have Today!

#33 (Adding an aqua class) might be more important than I originally thought, it’s just so tiring to even think of adding another format to my repituar (and I still don’t know how to spell repituar #34). Received an advertisement in the mail for Five Seasons Sports Club… they have a pool and offer aqua classes. Surfed their site and may submit a resume… not really sure it’s so near me, it shows up on google as only 5 miles at 11 minutes… doubting that is accurate… maybe if there is no traffic at all and no trains. Maybe I’ll drive out and clock it. Anyway, it looks nice and the pay scale might be good. Plus many resorts want an aqua class if I’m going to make #38 and #40 happen. One of my apprehensions is also that my voice is so soft… there is no microphone, not sure even with polishing up the non-verbal cues (#39… been trying) I can pull it off. Diana said her voice carried well in the pool area though… she was concerned too but it echoes in there. Saw her for her fair-well dinner party (#35… well, close enough).

Stars and Magic

2008-05-10T17:20:00.005-05:00

The horoscope looks okay... but something in the stars sure feels strange to me. Maybe I should ask mom my time of birth and see what the rising sign is trying to pull.
Thinking of asking my boss to post some etiquette guidelines on the group-x door... people just seem to think they should be able to barge into class doing their own thing and being very disruptive... chased someone out today and Thursday. :S
#1 and #5 Stayed after for Yoga. =D
#75 Had a really nice chat with my youngest and some hugs. Oldest had a Snowflurry (grade school level... she helped with) event and then started her first day at her new job.
For some odd reason I got this song stuck in my head... it gave me such a taste for it... had to seek it out (I don't have any Olivia Newton John CDs or anything). Does that ever happen to you?
Anyway, here it is.... Magic

Wow this is so 80s lol.
Hey, I use to wear my hair sort of like that! I'll prove it...

Toldja! I even wore headbands... man I was cool. :P

Stars lining up

2008-05-09T23:32:00.003-05:00

Ugh, a horrible thing happened after the brief update yesterday. Someone tried to steal my identity. :S
Ya know how I had opened that new account and signed up for direct deposit? Well, I got an email from the bank saying reaffirm your information since users from more than one computer have been trying to log-in to the account with several failed password attempts.
It was a phishing scam and I totally fell for it.
Spent today closing out all of our accounts changing all our pw cutting up our cards... putting fraud alerts on our credit... what a nightmare.
Here's what you can do...
Don't give out any sensitive info by phone or email
Don't follow any links to your banking site... type in the url in the address bar
Don't put your pw in a pop-up window
When you type in your pw it should look like *** not 123
Your bank will never ask you for your pw or pin
If your address bar says phishing site... um that's not good! (mistook this for blocking any phishing)
Just sick with worry after this happened and couldn't eat. Finally settled down and ate late and then realized... never got to my #1 thing (asana) and by then it wouldn't be good an a full stomach. Grrr... so now what? Maybe it'll be 1000/1001 I guess. :S
Was telling hubby it's been such a weird day and I wonder what my horoscope said... the stars must be lining up in a strange way for me. He says my horoscope musta said "be mean to hubby all day" HA HA.

Updates

2008-05-08T15:32:00.002-05:00

Keeping up with number one and practicing each day (shoot... except today, I'll have to hit it before bed).
The only other thing that really moves me forward on the list is #31 lunch pencilled in with Pam for next Thursday.
Yikes, now looking at #32... really wanted to hit Diana's class for this, but thought there would be a bit more time. :S
Since the doctor said there are probably adhesions on my feet and the plantar fascia are tight... been stretching and using this arch-mate massager three or four times a day and it seems to be helping... so at least something good came out of it.
That's about it... really boring, sorry. :P

Let the Sunshine In

2008-05-04T19:22:00.003-05:00

It's a gorgeous sunny day and Hubby and my youngest are out throwing ribs on the barbie. :D

Feeling much better... thanks for your words of support! Starting to see ways to do the things that might be hard. It's meant to be challenging right? We have to find a way to commit to what is important to us... kinda the point... whada ya think?

#1 and #5 Went to a 90 minute Yoga class at Yoga Among Friends... and feel really GREAT! This is much better for the body then my usual Sunday type activities that include; playing spades on an online league, visiting all my favorite websites, creating new choreography for classes (searching threw videos on YouTube or surfing TurnStep ...so in other words sitting all day).

#75 Rented Juno, and we'll watch that with dinner... plus we had hugs and chats.

KK... time to eat and have that Q-time. :P

Here Comes the Sun- Nina Simone

2008-05-03T21:42:00.002-05:00

For inspiration! I love her soulful voice.

Where is the sun?

2008-05-03T18:33:00.007-05:00

Just when the Sun tarot card came up and I was feeling very happy with the thought that everything is kinda going my way... life got so bumpy and some of the things on the big list seem harder, if not impossible. Plus, it's very gloomy out so just wondering, "where is the sun?”

Didn't really have time for blogging this week... but so you know, I did peek at the progress on your lists and responded to some comments... posted the pretty sun card.

Here's what I worked on...

#1 Asana.
*Monday, 10 minutes after morning classes (longer but can't remember exactly).
*Tuesday, 10 minutes after morning classes (kept it short to make a lunch date).
*Wednesday, 10 minutes between morning and noon time classes (in the sauna... practicing up for Bikram :P)
*Thursday, *sigh* did the "Morning cup of Yoga" routine twice (took a nap before evening class) but really can't count that since it's mixed with stopping to; drink tea... go to bathroom... pack my bag for work... it just doesn't count. Promised to practice before bed after checking out your blogs and did for about 15 minutes.
*Friday, hubby's b-day and doctor's appointment for #88 (tell ya about that in a second) ugh, no time between morning and noon classes... and then I talked and talked and talked to one of my favorite members after class (forgetting my intention to practice then... but she's making a 101 list!). So once again hitting it before bed for 15 minutes.
*Saturday, stayed after step class for a Yoga class, but for only 15 minutes since hubby wanted to go b-day present shopping.

#29 and #30 The group exercise networking site is not running... marked it off my list for now (not really taking credit for it per say... if he gets it going could join or find another way of networking). His wife, Shannon is a fitness presenter and has offered to consult about making a video. Considering it... depending on the fee... she has a lot of experience and has made several videos.

#35 One of my favorite instructors, who has also been a mentor and a dear friend is now moving out of state so it's unlikely we will get to make a video together. :S

#5 Attending a class each week is going to get a lot harder with my friend moving... Picking up another class on Saturday... usually stay and participate now staying to teach. It's good, and on the occasions I subbed this class I figured I could go to some other classes that sound cool... but every week? Not sure it's doable? Didn't even really do it this week and now it's got to fit in sometime tomorrow.

#37 Yikes! Will someone hire me for just Tuesdays? Was thinking of putting Saturday on the chopping block too since it was only one class... Tuesday there are two in a row, but far away.

#75 Has been more of a daily thing than weekly (spending time with each of the girls). I still kinda feel guilty about taking credit for it since we didn't do anything spectacular. The intention was to really dedicate time to them. Talk to them (well, listen really), and it's been good. This week my oldest has been gone almost every day. :S Better get some quality time in tomorrow.

#88 Went in for a consult on new orthotics. Did this really cool foot-scan thing. Went back for the follow-up and laid down a plan of action. It all sounded great... until we got to the part about what my insurance would cover. I was literally in tears. "The cost of health" they say. "It's worth it and I know I can help you" they say. "Health and wellness are on a continuum... you're either moving toward wellness or away from it" I hear. Forty dollars and two and a half hours of my time gone, left with shattered hopes and the realization that they simply don't accept my insurance. We have great benefits in network.

#72 Hubby wants to have a date night. We figure once a month opposite our bowling night. We also picked a couple off the waiting list to be our new teammates for bowling #69 (but we haven't told them yet... shhhh).

Wanna see my new bowling shoes?

And ball?

Hubby's b-day and he bought me presents. :P

The Sun

2008-05-01T22:45:00.000-05:00

You are The Sun

Happiness, Content, Joy.

The meanings for the Sun are fairly simple and consistent.

Young, healthy, new, fresh. The brain is working, things that were muddled come clear, everything falls into place, and everything seems to go your way.

The Sun is ruled by the Sun, of course. This is the light that comes after the long dark night, Apollo to the Moon's Diana. A positive card, it promises you your day in the sun. Glory, gain, triumph, pleasure, truth, success. As the moon symbolized inspiration from the unconscious, from dreams, this card symbolizes discoveries made fully consciousness and wide awake. You have an understanding and enjoyment of science and math, beautifully constructed music, carefully reasoned philosophy. It is a card of intellect, clarity of mind, and feelings of youthful energy.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

sunday practice

2008-04-28T00:14:00.001-05:00

Slide into a pose

2008-04-28T00:04:00.005-05:00

#1 Felt so great... put the sequence into a slide show ^above^. :P

#29 and #30 Can't find the site I was invited to join for fitness professionals. :S Maybe the url has changed? Sent out a few emails to track it down... and inquired about any advice they might have regarding making a video.

#63 There is nothing on the community calendar or website about a hazardous material drop off at our local park this year. Checked the Park District site and found my daughter on the front page. That was a nice surprise! There is a neighboring town we can bring that kind of stuff to... just have to haul it over there. Also found a cool link to living "greener" in our County... saved the page for future reference on #99

#76 Got mom's new address and wrote out a little card for her.

#90 Packaged a book to release through the mail... and forgot I can be marking that off as Karma Yoga #8!

On a roll here. =D

Strangers and FRIENDS

2008-04-26T20:08:00.002-05:00

#90 Registered four books including Strangers in Death by JD Robb on Book Crossing and put it on my reserved shelf for my new friend on Good Reads. I'll be "releasing" it to her on Monday and she's so excited. The other three went on my available shelf ...happy to share them!
Also brought a book into Bally this morning to release and leave on a treadmill before class... but when I stopped by to give them the heads up, my new friend at the front desk wanted it. hehehe Second time that has happened. I should be sneakier about it... but hate to think of the books being dumped or sitting in lost and found.

Both of these book sites have been so fun to participate in and I value the friendships being made!

#1 and #5 Stayed after my Step class for a Yoga class... felt a bit distracted by some foot pain but it was still worth it.

#42 Done! Added the Pilate's book to the "to read" list. That was an easy one. :P

Stranger than fiction

2008-04-25T20:39:00.002-05:00

Just trying to figure our how people put videos embedded in here. :S
Great song... wonderful movie... one of my favorite scenes. :P

Cute quote...
"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't." — Mark Twain

Up-Side-Down

2008-04-25T20:16:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I spent a few minutes outside practicing since the weather was nice and when imagining what to do an image of the backyard and doing a headstand came into mind. Things really do look different up-side-down. In fact, I could see a pop-up tent in a neighboring yard that somehow couldn't be located later while right-side-up. Also noticed a large bird like a hawk or an owl land in a treetop... not sure I would have seen him otherwise.
I crossed a few things off my list today... nothing terribly exciting, just managing some accounts. But it's exciting to go paperless by next fall. Do you think that should count as living greener?

15 minutes early...

2008-04-23T15:16:00.003-05:00

...to work today. Yay! I don't know about you, but daylight savings time this year was a hard adjustment. Plus, I added a few things to my morning routine. Trying to get my own Yoga practice in then... it's not working out so well. :S With an onset of a nasty cold I was totally pushing the fluids and started using a Neti Pot (It's helped and I would recommend it if you suffer from sinus symptoms... if you try it: warm the neti pot up a bit first by running warm water through it... found out the hard way that the pot stays cool and if you just fill it with warm water it cools quickly and causes an instant headache. Also you must use the salt). Anyway, I got in the bad habit of arriving only a few minutes early and even twice being late. :S So finally I feel like I'm back on track.
Teaching four classes today I wasn't sure when I'd get that asana time in... I usually end up chatting with people for a bit between classes but I had no stragglers today and easily got it in.

POOP! on my list

2008-04-22T16:10:00.004-05:00

Focusing on lists reminds me of a funny story.
I had written a shopping list and was reviewing it before the girls and I headed out for the store. Everything seemed to be fine until I got near the bottom of my list where I had written "POOP".
I couldn't for the life of me think of why I would write this. I had (at that time) two cats, ginnie pig cages to clean, and one of the girls was still in diapers... or at least I was still wiping tushes... So my life certainly had enough poop in it. I was baffled, but finally realized I meant to write "POOL"... just wanted to pick up a little pool for the back yard to splash around in and cool off.

Well, there is no "poop" on my 101 list. I have it up and the page is looking how I want it. I added the url to the master list online.
Been waking up a little early to try and get everything done in the mornings and get to work a bit earlier... it's not on my 101 list, just a mental list. I've been stretching every morning using some poses from A Morning Cup of Yoga but I really can't call it Yoga since it's interrupted by too many thoughts and trips around the house gathering things I need or whatever.
It's been easier than I thought it would to add asana (#1 on my list) each day... just staying after class each morning to do it. But #3 will be really hard!
I weighed myself and have been eating pretty healthy. :D

Kimz's Big List

2008-04-21T15:54:00.034-05:00

My list of 101 things to complete in 1001 days.
(want to create your own list? click here)

My start date: Monday, April 21, 2008
My finish date: Monday, January 17, 2011

Watch my progress (I will try to blog often)
Things I'm working on will be colored in purple
Items completed will be listed in red

Here we go...

Yoga Practice
001. Practice Asana (poses) daily for at least 10 minutes (68/1001) (???/1001 ugh!)
002. Practice Raja Yoga daily for four consecutive weeks (0/28)
003. Get up early to practice asana first thing each morning for one week
004. Practice asana twice daily (morning and evening) for one week
005. Attend a class (other formats permissible) once per week (5/143...5 of 6) reevaluating This goal will continue at a rate of once per month (12/ 31)
006. Try Bikram Yoga 2 times (0/2)
007. Practice 108 sun salutations during a Solstice (~~June 20, 2008~~, June 21, 2009 or 2010 December 21, ~~2008~~, 2009 or 2010)
008. Practice Karma Yoga at least sixteen times, around every other month or so. (15/16)
009. Master the "jump-through"
010. Master "peacock"
011. Find a mentor to begin an in depth study of the Yoga-Darsana with
012. Practice each of the Yamas for a full week (0/5)
013. Practice each of the Niyamas (click Yamas above for more info) for a full week (0/5)
014. Go to a Power Yoga master class/workshop given by Bryan Kest
015. Attend the Midwest Yoga Conference

Old Business
016. Close checking account
017. Discover amount to donate to American Red Cross
018. Send bank check to Red Cross
019. Sell/donate/discard inventory and clean out that area of the basement
020. Purge paperwork
021. File away any necessary paperwork

Career Advancement
022. Complete Yoga (level two) certification in ~~2008~~ 2009, Completed 3-29-09
023. Complete Yoga (level three) certification in 2009 or 2010.
024. Take AFAA CEUs during APEX, February 2009 (Midlife Fitness for Women)
025. Re-certify for AFAA April 2009
026. Re-certify for CPR AED November 2008
027. Re-certify for CPR AED November 2010
028. Re-certify for First Aid by February 2011
029. Check out John’s new networking site and possibly join (Face Book instead)
030. Get feedback from the presenters I know about making a video
031. Go out to lunch with Pam and discuss creating a Yoga video/audio and bio/audition
032. Visit an aqua class
033. Consider adding aqua classes to my repituar (if so, ask colleagues for format tips, take CEUs, and possibly certify)
034. Learn how to spell repituar REPERTOIRE thanks Gail T ;)
035. Go to lunch with Diana, see if she would want to make a video with me (nix the video idea)
036. Find out if there is any interest in a bilingual exercise video or think of other ideas
037. Audition for classes near me at higher pay rates (3 leads 4/3)
038. Look into NRG2GO or similar companies and possibly submit an audition video
039. Brush up on non-verbal cues and learn a little Spanish for Yoga cues (goes with #38)
040. Take a working vacation! Woohoo (contingent upon #38)
041. Read at least 16 of the books that are on my "to-read" shelf on Good Reads pertaining to work (5/16)
042. Add a really good Joseph Pilate’s book to my "to-read" list
043. Look for better music mixing software and learn how to use it
044. Make music mixes
045. Make music for Jim
046. Review Capoeira booklet and add some moves to Total Body Classes
047. Remember the "they don’t know what they don’t know" mantra for those times when I feel frustrated that participants are using poor form (just for total body... it's only frustrating since there is really no time to correct form... the whole class is timed out to music and there are only 4 reps of each exercise)
048. Check out newbies form before class

Household
049. Refinish kitchen set
050. Reupholster chairs
051. Kitchen cabinets: clean/paper/purge/reorganize (3/25)
052. Bathroom cabinet as above
053. Paint kitchen
054. Refinish Door
055. Replace broken pane
056. Try a shoji screen look for the panes
057. Paint end tables and create mosaic tile tops (0/3)
058. Build additional shelf for entertainment unit and tile it
059. Buy and install a new curtain rod for bedroom
060. Try to paint a faux-metallic finish on bedroom shelf
061. Organize movies CDs and games
062. Reposition coat-hooks in mud room
063. Find out when the hazardous material drop-off is and take advantage of it
064. Mark our calendar for a weekend cleaning the basement (get help doing this and plan something as a reward)
065. Have a garage sale

Fun and Travel
066. Adler Planetarium
067. Wisconsin Dells
068. Tropical Vacation
069. Get new bowling partners
070. Stay an over-night downtown
071. Visit a casino boat

Relationships
072. Start a date night
073. Start a family night
074. Read Surviving your Adolescents (again) make notes, set date to return, return it
075. Set time aside for each of the girls each week (10/143)
076. Write a letter to Mom, quarterly (1/11)
077. Read Giving the Love that Heals
078. Write cards or notes to people I happen to be thinking of (2/?)
079. Surprise hubby and bring him lunch

Financial
080. Open new account
081. Get direct-deposit
082. Pay off the living room set Sep 2008
083. Save for vacations

Health
084. Read 6-pack abs
085. Lose enough weight to see my tummy muscles (I know they’re there!)
086. Get a mammogram
087. *Private
088. Consult with doctor about new orthotics GOT 'EM!

Karma Yoga
089. Donate children’s books (check out the camel thingy)
090. Set at least one book free per month through BookCrossing (21/33)
091. Donate books to our local library
092. Donate shoes to Good Will
093. Pay anonymously for someone
094. Use Karma Yoga cards for other ideas
095. Offer to help with/do an item off someone else’s list (1/?... it's too fun to stop doing)
096. Do something nice for our heroes at the Police Department
097. Do something nice for our heroes at the Fire Department
098. Clean up all the garbage I can see at the highway exit ramp near work
099. Do at least 3 things to live greener (2/3)
100. Donate $5 to charity for each item not completed on this list
101. Make a new list?

Renouncing the list

2008-04-20T16:27:00.001-05:00

Years ago I gave up making lists. They started to feel like such a burden. I wanted to trust myself to remember things and do the things that were important to me, rather then having to write everything down. It's been a great success!
It's been with a great deal of thought and a bit of hesitation that I've decided to create a list of:
101 things to complete in 1001 days. I'm very excited about all the things on my list and the idea of learning to use a list this big as a useful tool without it becoming a burden. I think I'm up for the challenge. :D
Wish me luck!
I need to figure out this site. :S
I'll be posting my list soon and hope to start on May 1, 2008