i usually go to yoga classes about 4 times a week if i'm lucky. i've gotten to the point now where i have a good system in place where i have planned the week around these events. tuesdays and thursdays are saved for liz from 7-8:30-- her classes are always a staple. she co -owns the studio with her husband brian, who founded the place about 4 years ago. i had never taken one of his classes because it was always a little too early and i couldn't make it home because of my freakishly long commute to work at a job i don't enjoy. but that is a side note.
today, though, i went to his class. i left work early (don't worry mom, i'm not charging for that hour) and decided to take a stab at brian's class. it is the same style as liz's class i LOVE and i need to switch up my life.
it was awesome. a lot of the same poses, but more intense. i can't feel any muscles in my body at the moment, and it is difficult to lift my arms (think John McCain waving).
the metaphor i use is this:
let's say it's 1985 and you've decided you want the most rockin perm on the block. you get out of the salon feeling less than good about it -- not your best decision, and clearly it shows you're not putting your all into salvaging this hair scenario. liz (tuesday and thursday teacher) is your best friend who looks at you and says, "oh sweetie...that's no good. but here, let's fix it." she is calming, she will help you breathe through this stress. she makes you feel like a million dollars, even though you look like a giant pile. brian (the teacher today) is your best friend who goes, "dear GOD what happened?! your hair looks like shit...get over here, let's fix this mess. you're doing fine, just breathe...there we go." you're still getting your hair fixed, but you're thinking about what you can do and trying perhaps a little harder yourself. no need to be placated-- you don't need that crap.
the same message gets across, the same muscles get worked, and yet a whole new perspective.
sometimes i need to be reminded that change is good - even if i end up waving like McCain.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
boredom
my boss, fran (short for francis) is one of the coolest people ever. he also is a great affirmer and is well aware that i'm ditching Fluor for grad school next year: because of this he tries to convince me to stay in this business. he likes to say things like, "i know you're going to be good at anything you do, but you have a great mind for this business." this is why i love my boss.
but for those who think it's crazy for me to leave this cushy job where i get paid a lot, i wish i could recite to them a part of the first two paragraphs of one of my favorite books, "And Then We Came to the End" :
"We were fractious and overpaid. Our mornings lacked promise. At least those of us who smoked had something to look forward to at ten-fifteen. Most of us liked most everyone, a few of us hated specific individuals, one or two people loved everyone and everything. Those who loved everyone were unanimously reviled. We loved free bagels in the morning. They happened all too infrequently. Our benefits were astonishing in comprehensiveness and quality of care. Sometimes we questioned whether they were worth it. We thought moving to India might be better, or going back to nursing school. Doing something with the handicapped or working with our hands. No one ever acted on these impulses, despite their daily, sometimes hourly contractions. Instead we met in conference rooms to discuss the issues of the day....
Is this boring you yet? It bored us every day. Our boredom was ongoing, a collective boredom, and it would never die because we would never die."
while that is rather dour, it is true for many days i walk into my cubicle. it doesn't matter how many affirmations i get, how many pats on the back from management for the bane-of-my-existence monthly report...it is boredom. plain and simple. and Joshua Harris says it all too well.
i'm always trying to look on the bright side, and don't worry, i'm not going to quit tomorrow. that's for a year from now or so. but i just had to share.
but for those who think it's crazy for me to leave this cushy job where i get paid a lot, i wish i could recite to them a part of the first two paragraphs of one of my favorite books, "And Then We Came to the End" :
"We were fractious and overpaid. Our mornings lacked promise. At least those of us who smoked had something to look forward to at ten-fifteen. Most of us liked most everyone, a few of us hated specific individuals, one or two people loved everyone and everything. Those who loved everyone were unanimously reviled. We loved free bagels in the morning. They happened all too infrequently. Our benefits were astonishing in comprehensiveness and quality of care. Sometimes we questioned whether they were worth it. We thought moving to India might be better, or going back to nursing school. Doing something with the handicapped or working with our hands. No one ever acted on these impulses, despite their daily, sometimes hourly contractions. Instead we met in conference rooms to discuss the issues of the day....
Is this boring you yet? It bored us every day. Our boredom was ongoing, a collective boredom, and it would never die because we would never die."
while that is rather dour, it is true for many days i walk into my cubicle. it doesn't matter how many affirmations i get, how many pats on the back from management for the bane-of-my-existence monthly report...it is boredom. plain and simple. and Joshua Harris says it all too well.
i'm always trying to look on the bright side, and don't worry, i'm not going to quit tomorrow. that's for a year from now or so. but i just had to share.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
i have no specific stories of note, but rather some musings and questions that have arisen in my life lately:
i stood at the copier, copying purchase orders for a project...there were at least 50. it took 7 HOURS. this is further evidence that i need to get the heck out of here.
stevie nicks rocks. my friend griffin says she sounds alarmingly like an malaysian pop singer, but she is great. i heard her song with don henley "leather and lace" on the radio randomly and got pissed every time don henley came on.
related to the musing above: i'm pretty sure that anything don henley released after the eagles should be banned. that, and ANYTHING BY ROD STEWART. i immediately break out in profanity only saved for dick cheney.
it doesn't matter for how long or how little you stay in a subway: you will smell like bread for the rest of the day. i would rather be honey oat than parmesan oregano. what would you be?
i've decided that i can't live in the south any longer than possible. it's not them (you) it's me.
i've discovered through yoga that i have extremely loose joints. this means my balance sucks and i can hyperextend just about everything all the time. awesome.
i'm jazzed to go visit joy in baltimore august 7th. woo!!!!
i'm tired of people saying sonya sotomayor is biased. reading the live blog of all the hearings, she is clearly not and she seems to be boring some. even lindsay graham said she would have to have a "complete meltdown" in order to not get confirmed, and this coming from a guy who defended Gov. Mark Sanford. come on. maureen dowd's column on this today was excellent http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/15/opinion/15dowd.html?_r=1, especially the part about the "GOPs shame spiral." love it. and the title "White Man's Last Stand" is just smart.
because of my job, it is becoming more clear that i am as updated on current events as ever. hours in front of a computer and the times online will do that for you.
this state is also making me more liberal...so i guess that's a silver lining.
i would go get my MPA at university of oregon just for their website. it's so pretty. i will put a little more thought into it, i guess.
i stood at the copier, copying purchase orders for a project...there were at least 50. it took 7 HOURS. this is further evidence that i need to get the heck out of here.
stevie nicks rocks. my friend griffin says she sounds alarmingly like an malaysian pop singer, but she is great. i heard her song with don henley "leather and lace" on the radio randomly and got pissed every time don henley came on.
related to the musing above: i'm pretty sure that anything don henley released after the eagles should be banned. that, and ANYTHING BY ROD STEWART. i immediately break out in profanity only saved for dick cheney.
it doesn't matter for how long or how little you stay in a subway: you will smell like bread for the rest of the day. i would rather be honey oat than parmesan oregano. what would you be?
i've decided that i can't live in the south any longer than possible. it's not them (you) it's me.
i've discovered through yoga that i have extremely loose joints. this means my balance sucks and i can hyperextend just about everything all the time. awesome.
i'm jazzed to go visit joy in baltimore august 7th. woo!!!!
i'm tired of people saying sonya sotomayor is biased. reading the live blog of all the hearings, she is clearly not and she seems to be boring some. even lindsay graham said she would have to have a "complete meltdown" in order to not get confirmed, and this coming from a guy who defended Gov. Mark Sanford. come on. maureen dowd's column on this today was excellent http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/15/opinion/15dowd.html?_r=1, especially the part about the "GOPs shame spiral." love it. and the title "White Man's Last Stand" is just smart.
because of my job, it is becoming more clear that i am as updated on current events as ever. hours in front of a computer and the times online will do that for you.
this state is also making me more liberal...so i guess that's a silver lining.
i would go get my MPA at university of oregon just for their website. it's so pretty. i will put a little more thought into it, i guess.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
still
*Warning* (added after completing post) This is my occasional political rant after being reminded how messed up this all is. I do not intend to start a debate here, I merely want to remind all 3-ish dutiful readers to join me in my frustration. Thank you.
hello all -- in case you, like most of the people i live with in south carolina, forgot: we're still in iraq.
yes, we're finally pulling troops out and baghdad was FINALLY given over to the iraq army. but we're still there. and i'm still pissed about it. i try, oh yes i try, not to be too political, but i've decided to forego that option in my life until i am legally forced to keep my beliefs to myself (if it comes to that).
i, along with many, am happy we're leaving iraq and continue to be worried about afghanistan. i worry because this president (who i am a fan of overall, obviously) has ramped up afghanistan operations. i'm afraid of not just americans dying, but all people dying. is there no value to a human life? i guess it matters what you are. i don't think i'm the only one who's mad here.
sometimes in the south, though, it makes me wonder if anyone in the red part of this state i'm living in is pissed. when we were in subway at lunch and forced to watch Fox News with (your friend and mine!) Dick Cheney blathering about Obama making America "less safe," a coworker said to me after my knee jerk response of "Dick Cheney is the antichrist" (it happens frequently): "well, at least when Cheney was in office we knew the terrorists weren't winning." because that statement clearly ends the conversation.
the biggest question i have after a statement like that is: HOW DOES ANYONE KNOW WHO'S WINNING AND LOSING?
clearly there really is no way to judge, as the iraq quagmire has gone on for 6 more years than necessary and afghanistan is getting worse by the day.
and people are dying. for what? for what?
i was thankfully reminded to be pissed again by this blurb from AP in the Times Today about the number of American deaths in Iraq http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/07/05/us/AP-US-Iraq-US-Deaths.html
now i understand why my dad still gets mad every time Vietnam or Nixon is brought up. i'm going to be mad for a long time too about this, assuming that the world won't end before i can tell my kids about this.
i at least know steve-o's with me.
hello all -- in case you, like most of the people i live with in south carolina, forgot: we're still in iraq.
yes, we're finally pulling troops out and baghdad was FINALLY given over to the iraq army. but we're still there. and i'm still pissed about it. i try, oh yes i try, not to be too political, but i've decided to forego that option in my life until i am legally forced to keep my beliefs to myself (if it comes to that).
i, along with many, am happy we're leaving iraq and continue to be worried about afghanistan. i worry because this president (who i am a fan of overall, obviously) has ramped up afghanistan operations. i'm afraid of not just americans dying, but all people dying. is there no value to a human life? i guess it matters what you are. i don't think i'm the only one who's mad here.
sometimes in the south, though, it makes me wonder if anyone in the red part of this state i'm living in is pissed. when we were in subway at lunch and forced to watch Fox News with (your friend and mine!) Dick Cheney blathering about Obama making America "less safe," a coworker said to me after my knee jerk response of "Dick Cheney is the antichrist" (it happens frequently): "well, at least when Cheney was in office we knew the terrorists weren't winning." because that statement clearly ends the conversation.
the biggest question i have after a statement like that is: HOW DOES ANYONE KNOW WHO'S WINNING AND LOSING?
clearly there really is no way to judge, as the iraq quagmire has gone on for 6 more years than necessary and afghanistan is getting worse by the day.
and people are dying. for what? for what?
i was thankfully reminded to be pissed again by this blurb from AP in the Times Today about the number of American deaths in Iraq http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/07/05/us/AP-US-Iraq-US-Deaths.html
now i understand why my dad still gets mad every time Vietnam or Nixon is brought up. i'm going to be mad for a long time too about this, assuming that the world won't end before i can tell my kids about this.
i at least know steve-o's with me.
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