Tight Thursday

I did some yoga today in what seems like forever.

Bond was judgy as always…

 

I mean his downward dog is better than mine…  My calf muscles were so tight today and yesterday for that matter.  I did a circuit workout on Tuesday.  I felt awesome at the time, but when I woke up the next morning my calf muscles were screaming at me!  I’ve been trying to stretch them out ever since.

Consequently, I haven’t done a whole lot of walking or running.  Believe me, just walking down the hallway at school is painful enough.  It doesn’t help that the first grade classroom and my room are pretty much the farthest points from each other.

Tomorrow, I am going to take a walk…I swear! 

I’m pretty excited about this weekend, well Saturday.  In the morning I’m going to check out a new Farmer’s Market in Norfolk.  They seem to have a pretty good group of vendors coming.  I like to hit up the Farmer’s Market in Old Beach, but that doesn’t start until next weekend. 

The other reason I’m excited is that we are going to a playoff game for the Admirals (Eastern Conference)!  Hockey?  In May?  I’ll take it!

www.dailypress2.com

 

It’d be super awesome if they would win and then move ahead in the playoffs!

A short update, but hey an update nonetheless!  I’ve got an avocado that’s been call my name aaaallll day. 

Oh before I forget…

School News

We gave one of my students a “motivaider” (no I didn’t misspell) in the fourth grade. 

http://www.habitchange.com

It’s basically a timed buzzer that they put on themselves that vibrates after a set amount of time to keep them focused.  He actually thanked me today for giving him the “motivaider.”  He was super excited.  He showed me how it worked and let me know when it started buzzing.  He also suggested that we give one to his friend’s brother.  Because he gets in trouble a lot for forgetting things.  Glad I could help!

 

8K Sunday

Happy Sunday!  I hope you are having as great of a weekend as I have had so far.  We’ll see what happens in the Super Bowl…  I thought I’d tell ya a little bit more about myself.  Without further ado…

Four TV Shows I Watch

• The Office
• Modern Family
• How I Met Your Mother
• Big Bang Theory
• 30 Rock

Four Phrases I Use Way Too Much

• “Probably” as in, “I probably don’t know.’
• “Really?”
• “For the love of Pete!”
• “Listen!”

Four Things I’m Passionate About

• Music
• Half Marathoning

• Teaching
• My family

I know everyone will be especially happy about this one...

 

Four of my favorite foods

• Chick Fil A
• Pierogie
• City Chicken
• Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese

I have so many other favorite foods, this was tricky.

Four Things I’m Looking Forward To

• Trips to NYC
• Finally getting my Masters!
• More tattoos (don’t know when this is actually going to happen).  I know mom and dad will be super psyched to see this one. 
• The Flying Pig Marathon

Four Places I’ve Lived

• Clinton, MI
• Middletown, OH
• Bexley, OH
• Virgina Beach, VA

Four Things I Did Today

• As the title of the post suggest, I walked an 8K.  Yay for me!  I was only planning on doing 2.5 to 3, but I just felt really good, had my workout playlist on and kept going.  I did most of it on the trails and saw a Search and Rescue team out.  It was kind of odd and I’m pretty sure I didn’t get lost, so hopefully they were just practicing. 
• Got some new jeans at Ann Taylor Loft, plus some other pretty good deals.
• Made French Toast out of some dry cinnamon raisin bread
• Changed a fuse in my car so I can listen to Sirius Radio again.

Four Things I Did Yesterday

• Did Yoga.  You’ll never believe it guys…I did a tree pose on both sides and didn’t fall over!  I am way proud of myself. 

Whoo!

• Ate a delicious chicken sandwich from the Gourmet Gang
• Went out for dinner and drinks with friends
• Watched Dana Carvey be hilarious on SNL.  Really they should have actual funny people on more often. 

Four Movies I Would Watch Over and Over

• The Princess Bride.  I mean, c’mon.
• Shawshank Redemption
• Across the Universe
• Amelie

…put your records on…

This morning, after yoga, Leanne and I went to get bagels and coffee.  As we were sitting, eating…basically contemplating life.  Ya, know, as you do… *wink*  As song came on and Leanne made the comment that knowing the lyrics to this particular song was a waste of brain space.

She said she could see her mind flipping through a Rolodex and finding the card with all the lyrics to the song.  I said, “Isn’t it like a juke box?  You know, push B, 2, and the record flips over and there’s the song?”  Nope she definitely has a Rolodex in her mind and I have a jukebox.  If this doesn’t show the differences between us; I don’t know what does.

She even said her Rolodex was alphabetized!

I like my jukebox….and I don’t need quarters!  Which leads me to the daily post…

Daily Post

This one is from a couple days ago, but I just didn’t get to it.

If stranded on a desert island, and could only bring one music album with you, which would it be? What is it about this music that never gets old for you?

This is hard for me, since I really love music.  No, I really do!  I think I would have to bring an iPod…  It’s like asking me which child I like the best and why.  Seriously.

I think I may have to break it down by genre:

Brodaway: RENT.  Why?  Because this was the first “real” musical I went to.  Sure I’d seen Phantom, but RENT is so much more than Phantom.  I love what Jonathan Larson did making a modern day La Vie Boheme.  The characters and their stories really get into your mind and settle in and stay a while.  I could listen to this CD on repeat for days.  One Song Glory: “…Find, Glory, In a song that rings true, Truth like a blazing fire, An eternal flame, Find, One song, A song about love, Glory…”

 

Oh yeah, Adam Pascal doesn't hurt either...

 

 

Folk: Over the Rhine.  Remember when Leanne and I hydrated with wine?  Over the Rhine! Por Que?  Because a)they are from Cincinnati and b) they are amazing.  Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler do an phenomenal job of heartfelt lyrics with soothing sometimes quirky harmonies and music.  My favorite OTR album is The Trumpet Child or Ohio.  In Ohio, you can feel Karin’s longing and sadness in each word.  Ohio: “Hello Ohio, The back roads, I know Ohio, Like the back of my hand, Alone Ohio, Where the river bends, And it’s strange to see your story end.”

Indie: This one’s tricky, because it changes daily.  Right now it’s between Arcade Fire, The New Pornographers, and Rilo Kiley.  I told you, I can’t choose!

Rock:  It’s gotta be the Beatles.  Call me a product of my parent’s choice in music.  But, at least they have good taste!  Again, it’s hard to pick which Beatles album.  But for me it’s Rubber Soul.

Pop:  Hmm, I think I gotta go with GaGa, at least for now.  I think she’s out there,crazy, whatever other adjectives you want to describe her.  Yes, I agree.  But at least she is being different, innovative and writing her own stuff.  So for that, GaGa I gotcha.

Okay, that’s enough for now.  I really could go on, but I won’t.  Music tells so many stories and can express stories that you don’t know how.  It calms me, revs me up, and inspires me! (Cheesy, yes, I know)

What about you?  What’s your desert island album?

Hello Fall?

I mean really.  It’s 70 something today and tomorrow it’s supposed to be in the 80′s!?  Really!?

Hey there!  It’s been awhile.  How are you? 

This weekend has been full of decorating and training.  We went for a short walk earlier in the week, 2.5 miles, just throughout the neighborhood.  I didn’t take any pictures because well the neighborhood is just not that exciting.  

 Thursday we went to Pilates/gymnastics with Margaryta.  She did a lot of core and balancing stuff and I could definitely feel it the next day. 

Just pretend that this is exactly what Leanne and I looked like while doing this

 

Shoulder stand

Saturday was yoga day.  We did a lot of basic stretching and sun salutations.  It was very relaxing… 

Also on Saturday we carved our pumpkin!  Bond didn’t quite know what to think about the whole pumpkin carving experience…

Bond supervising, as he does best

Gooey pumpkin hand!

GUTS!

Saying that out loud (GUTS!) so made me think of that old Nickelodeon TV show.  Anyone else remember it?  Anyone?

Aggro Crag!

Mike O’Malley was the host and the kids had to crazy sports competitions.  I’m pretty sure that my brother and I would “do” the games along with the kids on the show at home.  

Being helpful

Now, we have a scary looking pumpkin outside!

Sunday we walked and Fort Story and did the Osmathus trail as part of our miles.

Osmanthus trail

This tree was not this way the last time we were through. Those termites must have been hungry!

Virginia Beach mermaid

That last picture of the mermaid…  That person has a bunch of cool stuff in their garden.  There is an iron skeleton and a bunch of other artwork, plus all the veggies and flowers they grow.   

Then of course after our walk we went to Starbucks for some coffee…

After that it was off to run errands and Michael’s, Trader Joes, and the Halloween store.  I saw these cool pumpkin luminaries that we are going to try and make out of the fake carveable pumpkins; hence Michael’s and the Halloween store. 

Delicious and I mean delicious food was made for dinner.  I made White Bean Chicken Chili, and Paula Deen’s hoecakes with pumpkin butter.  I seriously think I may be addicted to Trader Joe’s pumpkin butter.  It is sooo tasty; I could have eaten the entire jar!

Pumpkin butter, I love you!

We had a delicious weekend.  This week we need to get moving and do more walking!  The OBX half marathon is a mere 3 weeks away!

You’re not doing that right…

Today, my dear friends, I went back to yoga.  I haven’t been to yoga class in quite a while.  The thing is I love yoga, really I do!

It all started in college.  I can’t remember why I thought I needed to do it, but I did.  I bought a very reputable video… *cough* cast member of MTV’s Real World *cough* and started out. 

There! I'm not ashamed. Ok, maybe a little bit.

I did the video and as I thought was in need of some stretching out.  I tried to do the video at least once a week and felt more bendy.  I was, in my head, an amazing yogi.

So when Leanne said she wanted to go to a yoga class at a gym right down the street from us I of course said yes.  I mean come on I was a pro!  Turns out, as the title says, I was not doing it correctly.  There is a very big difference to what a trained yoga teacher tells you to do and a not so great video (and yes by the way it was a VHS).

So today, we told the teacher that since we hadn’t been to yoga to ya know take it easy on us.  She of course replied, “Well then I will make it as hard as possible!”  Just imagine it in a cheery Ukranian accent.  It all started out okay; lots of gentle stretching and spinal twists and then got more “aerobic.” 

One of my least favorite yoga pose or series of poses are warrior.  Just for the pure fact that sometimes we have to stay in warrior pose for like 5 breathes… not cool. 

Because I always do yoga on the beach with windswept hair...

Today was not such an easy yoga day.  I hadn’t practiced in 2 or 3 weeks?  So, I was off-balance and had very tight muscles.  I was frustrated!  Then we ended the time with side triangle…

Side triangle, you were not my friend today.

Could. not. do.  It’s my own fault really.  I will get back into yoga more, I will.  I know this was a complainy, whiny post, but I had to get it off my chest; I’m in a grumpy mood.  This was a selfish post, I realize this.  Please don’t take away that yoga isn’t fun it is!  I think everyone should try it at least once. 

Tomorrow Leanne and I are going to walk at First Landing and get back into the groove of training for our upcoming events.  Exciting times are ahead!