JE just Left for work, my sister just got up to use the loo and is now back to bed, I am sitting in my running clothes wondering if I will eventually go for my morning run. I missed my five mile run On Wednesday after I dropped a dresser drawer on my toe. Ouch. It bled and gooed for a while, and now is one dark bruise. Shoes are not so fun. Perhaps just a Nike fitness club workout, or some yoga.
LH, my sister, is visiting from Portland, Oregon. Her drum corps is in town to particiapate and watch the original drum corps from Long Beach have its annual reunion. Most of those guys are ready to retire--or beyond, but still play with an bone shaking passion. For some of them, it literally hurts. Two years ago, I was at this reunion with my sister. Every year, the circle gets smaller, as these older men bow to physical afflictions. Each year may be their last to play together. One of the coolest and emotionally charged things I've ever seen. The reunion happens Saturday at El Dorado Park in Long Beach.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
New Avdentures
The voice if DA kept going through my head as I tried to back off my kicking. My swim coach blasted me for using my legs too much. "Save your legs for the run."
Today was my first day in the early morning swim class and it felt good to be in the water again. I am grouped with a range of swimmers; Hannah is brand new to it and middle aged Pam swam on the high school swim team. There are also several young men, some of whom have never swam before either.
Our coach had us doing breathing drills, with one arm stretched out while we float on our backs. Back and forth in the lane, all of us forming a single line down the pool.
I can swim, and the coach knows I can swim. This is both bad and good. We, as first timers in this class, have an advantage of the coaches attention who generously tweaks our performance to improve--like my kicking. There are several classes meeting at the same time, who run drills and don't receive as much attention. He suggested I'll be in with the beginners for maybe a week before I start in with the rest of the groups. Which is good because I can swim, but bad because they drill pretty hard without breaking and it has been a while since I've been in the pool. My rhythm is still off. But I'll find it soon. I hope...
Often, when I say something is "life changing," people make the mistake of thinking I am talking about some monumental event. I'm not. I find that the most lasting changes in my life have taken years of tweaking and growth. For instance, we recently started getting out produce and eggs from a farm-share. Each week, we go to a designated spot and pick up a box filled with seasonal veggies and fruit that is organically grown by local farmers. It has changed the way we eat--suddenly it seems so wasteful to eat at restaurants, our vegetable intake has increased and our meat and fat consumption is down. JE has lost about 10 pounds in the last month.
I so enjoyed the nutrition class I took this summer, I enrolled in a nutrition controversies class for the fall. I'm also desperately trying to get into a bio-chem class that fits so beautifully into my schedule. But there are a dozen people trying to add the class and only one slot open. It will be lotteried off at the next class period--send good thoughts my way.
After years of pestering JE to take a sailing class with me, all it took for him to enroll was a tiny bout of public humiliation (I didn't mean it!). Our first time out of the harbor, we were casually escorted by a small pod of dolphin. One was so close we could hear it breath. It was a fun class. Every class we had a tiny breeze to learn to sail by. But our last class we had a gale! JE had a great time, but I found steering the boat (a 14 ft caprise with a reefed sail) incredibly difficult. "Almost capsizing is not capsizing," our instructor reminded me when we got to port. But I have been a bit afraid of taking the tiller since then, it was pretty close. And who is it to push for continuing our sailing experience? Yes, my JE has us signed up for the next class--14 weeks of 'fun.'
We've been so fortunate to get up to the central coast while the weather is still so nice. Last weekend we roamed the hills above Big Sur both by car and on foot. We are learning to cook on a camp stove, over a fire, and in foil in the fire.
Today was my first day in the early morning swim class and it felt good to be in the water again. I am grouped with a range of swimmers; Hannah is brand new to it and middle aged Pam swam on the high school swim team. There are also several young men, some of whom have never swam before either.
Our coach had us doing breathing drills, with one arm stretched out while we float on our backs. Back and forth in the lane, all of us forming a single line down the pool.
I can swim, and the coach knows I can swim. This is both bad and good. We, as first timers in this class, have an advantage of the coaches attention who generously tweaks our performance to improve--like my kicking. There are several classes meeting at the same time, who run drills and don't receive as much attention. He suggested I'll be in with the beginners for maybe a week before I start in with the rest of the groups. Which is good because I can swim, but bad because they drill pretty hard without breaking and it has been a while since I've been in the pool. My rhythm is still off. But I'll find it soon. I hope...
Often, when I say something is "life changing," people make the mistake of thinking I am talking about some monumental event. I'm not. I find that the most lasting changes in my life have taken years of tweaking and growth. For instance, we recently started getting out produce and eggs from a farm-share. Each week, we go to a designated spot and pick up a box filled with seasonal veggies and fruit that is organically grown by local farmers. It has changed the way we eat--suddenly it seems so wasteful to eat at restaurants, our vegetable intake has increased and our meat and fat consumption is down. JE has lost about 10 pounds in the last month.
I so enjoyed the nutrition class I took this summer, I enrolled in a nutrition controversies class for the fall. I'm also desperately trying to get into a bio-chem class that fits so beautifully into my schedule. But there are a dozen people trying to add the class and only one slot open. It will be lotteried off at the next class period--send good thoughts my way.
After years of pestering JE to take a sailing class with me, all it took for him to enroll was a tiny bout of public humiliation (I didn't mean it!). Our first time out of the harbor, we were casually escorted by a small pod of dolphin. One was so close we could hear it breath. It was a fun class. Every class we had a tiny breeze to learn to sail by. But our last class we had a gale! JE had a great time, but I found steering the boat (a 14 ft caprise with a reefed sail) incredibly difficult. "Almost capsizing is not capsizing," our instructor reminded me when we got to port. But I have been a bit afraid of taking the tiller since then, it was pretty close. And who is it to push for continuing our sailing experience? Yes, my JE has us signed up for the next class--14 weeks of 'fun.'
We've been so fortunate to get up to the central coast while the weather is still so nice. Last weekend we roamed the hills above Big Sur both by car and on foot. We are learning to cook on a camp stove, over a fire, and in foil in the fire.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Class
Yoga, with an interesting instructor. She seems to live yoga. This is a good thing. She told us that she likes to give one on one attention and make corrections. This is a great thing. Excellent. I'll have yoga twice a week. Tomorrow is my nutrition class.
After class today, I ran 7 miles. Feeling good
After class today, I ran 7 miles. Feeling good
Monday, June 18, 2012
School Days
Over the past couple weeks, I've been building my running up. Mondays I run 7 miles, Wednesday 5, Friday 3 miles with sprint intervals. I now run 7 miles at a 12 minute mile pace. It's been good and difficult. Perhaps the strangest thing about it is how muscle fatigues my lower abs are, and how sore they are for days afterward. So weird. But it makes sense. Tuesday's and Thursdays have become my swimming and Nike Fitness Club workout days. But that is all in flux.
This morning, I started a nutrition class at the local college. I'm not sure what exactly I am expecting to gain from taking this class, perhaps just to peek inside one of the many doors that has been gently pushed open for me lately.
Over the past year or so, I've had so many dreams that I was wandering about in corridors. Recently, I figured out what those dreams were really about and feel the need and desire to change that. My life is filled with opportunities to explore, and I am going to explore them. I may, however, be overly filled with zealousness. Currently there are 8 credits for which I am enrolled. Eight credits in eight weeks or less, plus a couple odd jobs. Odd jobs include a coat for Captain Hook in "Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan!" I'm excited to build this coat, but the deadline is awfully crunchy. As is the ancient station wagon birthday cake I'll be building for Swantje's mother's 90th birthday--this weekend. Photos to come--I hope...
The past few weeks I've been working on throwing a party to celebrate the creative process. I invited several people who are also highly creative and asked them to bring something they worked on for the party. The optional theme was "Bright Spots." I sent invites with ample time to have something prepared to share, but most folks came with older projects, or things hastily thrown together. People came, some dressed up. Bronwen came in a vintage dress she had wired to light up in a sunburst pattern. She had taught herself how to make a circuit for electricity and sewed conductive thread into the dress. So cool. Why didn't I take photos? Her husband brought a painting of a vision he had while meditating during yoga. Pete, brought a pie. Melody brought her costume sketches from grad school. Colleen brought "ancient art," watercolors she had done "years ago."
Several trips to the beach had me scrambling for ideas. When I picked up a few pieces of driftwood, I started to get some ideas. Critters were forming as I looked at the differing shapes in the wood. Eventually, I found a piece that nailed down what the driftwood was trying to tell me. Birds! There was so much movement in these crazy bits of flotsam, they needed to stay moving, so they became marionettes. Here is a link to a little video of one of the birds/creatures. Admittedly, they are weird.
Japheth on the beach
After I showed the group my project, they all decided that we need to keep meeting--to take the project more seriously, give each other challenges, and have a goal in mind. We meet again at the end of August with Nature as our theme. I need this in my life.
This morning, I started a nutrition class at the local college. I'm not sure what exactly I am expecting to gain from taking this class, perhaps just to peek inside one of the many doors that has been gently pushed open for me lately.
Over the past year or so, I've had so many dreams that I was wandering about in corridors. Recently, I figured out what those dreams were really about and feel the need and desire to change that. My life is filled with opportunities to explore, and I am going to explore them. I may, however, be overly filled with zealousness. Currently there are 8 credits for which I am enrolled. Eight credits in eight weeks or less, plus a couple odd jobs. Odd jobs include a coat for Captain Hook in "Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan!" I'm excited to build this coat, but the deadline is awfully crunchy. As is the ancient station wagon birthday cake I'll be building for Swantje's mother's 90th birthday--this weekend. Photos to come--I hope...
The past few weeks I've been working on throwing a party to celebrate the creative process. I invited several people who are also highly creative and asked them to bring something they worked on for the party. The optional theme was "Bright Spots." I sent invites with ample time to have something prepared to share, but most folks came with older projects, or things hastily thrown together. People came, some dressed up. Bronwen came in a vintage dress she had wired to light up in a sunburst pattern. She had taught herself how to make a circuit for electricity and sewed conductive thread into the dress. So cool. Why didn't I take photos? Her husband brought a painting of a vision he had while meditating during yoga. Pete, brought a pie. Melody brought her costume sketches from grad school. Colleen brought "ancient art," watercolors she had done "years ago."
Several trips to the beach had me scrambling for ideas. When I picked up a few pieces of driftwood, I started to get some ideas. Critters were forming as I looked at the differing shapes in the wood. Eventually, I found a piece that nailed down what the driftwood was trying to tell me. Birds! There was so much movement in these crazy bits of flotsam, they needed to stay moving, so they became marionettes. Here is a link to a little video of one of the birds/creatures. Admittedly, they are weird.
 |
| 2012-06-18 |
Japheth on the beach
After I showed the group my project, they all decided that we need to keep meeting--to take the project more seriously, give each other challenges, and have a goal in mind. We meet again at the end of August with Nature as our theme. I need this in my life.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Half way point
At 2.5 miles, I was feeling charged. The first mile had been brutal. I'd been in the kitchen all arvo making bread, tamales, and my new favorite treat: coconut butter cups with honey sweetened peanut butter in the middle. They are akin to chocolate peanut butter cups, but somewhere in this mix of things, I've lost my taste for chocolate. I really am a freak...
JE was with me, running in his crappy little Tigers I can't get him to throw away. I asked him how his feet were feeling and if they could stand to run another mile. Of course, for me that man would walk through fire. And so we ran. Not fast, but thorough.
We turned around and began running back. The Nike training app lady told us we had gone 4 miles. Running became easier, we only had two more miles left!
I wanted my 10k tonight, and I earned it. It's been a while since I've been so on fire to run. Somedays I'm totally motivated and able, others times I struggle. But I've got to keep on moving (ain't nobody going to break my stride...). Even though i am sore and tired, it feels good to move.
Being on the otherside of things is, in a way, enlightening. From where I stand now, things look so much brighter. I've enrolled in a couple classes--including a sailing class! And have some perspective of where I'm headed. There is so much I want to know and do. Life just gets better.
JE was with me, running in his crappy little Tigers I can't get him to throw away. I asked him how his feet were feeling and if they could stand to run another mile. Of course, for me that man would walk through fire. And so we ran. Not fast, but thorough.
We turned around and began running back. The Nike training app lady told us we had gone 4 miles. Running became easier, we only had two more miles left!
I wanted my 10k tonight, and I earned it. It's been a while since I've been so on fire to run. Somedays I'm totally motivated and able, others times I struggle. But I've got to keep on moving (ain't nobody going to break my stride...). Even though i am sore and tired, it feels good to move.
Being on the otherside of things is, in a way, enlightening. From where I stand now, things look so much brighter. I've enrolled in a couple classes--including a sailing class! And have some perspective of where I'm headed. There is so much I want to know and do. Life just gets better.
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