Yoga at the community center was okay. Okay in that it cost me $8 as opposed to a $14 drop in rate. Class was full of loyal fans that enjoyed this instructor's style. I caught that vibe by the response she received when she mentioned this would be her last class teaching for the summer. She would be traveling to California for the remainder of it and back in the fall.
She played some music, mostly instrumental. Melody mentioned having that cd after the class concluded. Melody is a massage therapist and has an array of music, available, while working on people. She is not a fluff massage person. She is more of a body maintenance therapist. She plays classical, instrumental, yoga, and massage inspired music.
At any rate, I enjoyed some of the class. I didn't find it particularly challenging but it was a nice change of pace to the routines at body. I think it is important to mix things up or I get bored. I know there are 100's of people that practice bikram yoga and love it for the meditative state it inspires. I, however, do not find comfort in performing the same sequence of poses on a daily basis. My mind wanders and becomes counter-intuitive to what yoga is supposed to motivate. Peace, meditation, breath--all about focusing on the present. I prefer power sequences with a rhythmic beat in the background. I did get spoiled in Phoenix by the yoga community. I prefer their school of yoga. I like to sweat. Yesterday we did manage to do quite a few chatarangas and some balancing postures all of which felt pretty basic. The woman next to me asked me how often I did yoga. I was honest. I like to do yoga 4-5 times a week. She looked at me and said--I should have discovered this much sooner in my life. My response--well, it's here now. Enjoy it.
I will buy a new pack of classes today. I am committed to adjusting to the style of SF and making it work for me. I hope the music evolves into more rhythm and less instrumental or cello based selections. The one guy who everyone loves in SF has an atrocious play list. I have tried to adapt to his class but find it too difficult to make happen. He wants to be a guru and preach about breath, sequence, posture but then suggests practicing on someone else's mat which is sacrilege to me. Why would I want to be in someone else's space or sweat? Granted, rarely, have I managed to break a sweat in his class. Still, it bothers me when he tells us to lunge onto someone else's mat during his sequence. He seems to be out of town, often, which is fine by me. Motivates me to take in another class at the studio.
We have a large event at work tonight. I will be working a satellite bar which should be interesting. Afterwards, the bar manager and I will be doing inventory. Fantastic way to conclude the month. This will be my third go at the inventory. Surely, it will go quicker. However, after the set up, break down of the event, I think it will be a long day. Yesterday was challenging. Normally, I enjoy the Sunday night shift. We are treated to family style tacos to commemorate the end of the week. The kitchen was slammed last night and the guys were in a rush to leave. I didn't prepare any food to nosh on since I thought I would be eating Sunday night tacos. Silly me. I should have planned ahead. I cannot eat at 11 o'clock at night on a consistent basis and then wonder why I feel lethargic in the a.m. I need to stash protein bars or almonds in my work bag.
Here is to beginning the week on a positive note. Two months in SF and I am feeling more adjusted to the pace of it. No rushing or road raging this week.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Lack of running, carrot cake eating and work....
Three weeks of running makes it a habit, right? It becomes easier to willingly go for a run as opposed to begrudgingly performing the task at hand. I thought about waking up and heading out today. This was before I worked last night. A long shift and an ending requiring all staff to stay to move all of the table and chairs. The floors needed to be deep cleaned and so last night we moved all of the furniture. It was not too terribly taxing but after not eating or drinking water for 7+ hours, my body refused to wake up and go for a run. I am sensitive to my hydration needs. From a few encounters with dehydrating while playing volleyball to the face plant which required some plastic surgery to repair my lip and bridge of my nose. You definitely can understand why I am aware of my hydration after that debacle.
So, running was not in the cards today. However, there is always tomorrow and I believe that I will wake up and head out. I enjoy the freedom of it. Especially the opportunity to reflect on my current state of things. I know that I made the right decision in relocating. Phoenix was supposed to be a temporary move and three years is more than enough time to be considered temporary. I enjoyed myself during that time. I strengthened some friendships, made new friends, had new opportunities in the wine world, enhanced my yoga practice and had the ability to hike Echo, every day, if I wanted. I met some fantastic people while doing the retail thing and all, in all, lived a blessed life. I just never bonded with Phoenix like I had in Denver. I am too earthy to truly thrive in the Valley of the Sun. Employment opportunities are always plentiful and I am grateful for that. Who knows? I might end up there again.
Regardless, I do reflect on choices while running. I should have went this morning. After last night's shift, I came home and inhaled some carrot cake. I love carrot cake! I had bought a slice at the farmer's market yesterday with the intention of sharing it with a friend. He had a birthday, last week, and I wanted to celebrate it with a slice of carrot cake and mimosas. However, I walked home from the farmer's market and didn't take into account the heat factor or how it would wreck the frosting making it unpretty to share. All of the frosting had melted to one side of the container. I could eat it but would be embarrassed to pass it off as a gift. It was no longer pleasing to look at, not a huge concern of mine, last night, when I sampled the lovely cake. I must remember where that cake hailed from. Delicious!
I feel, semi-accomplished, as I pitched a cocktail to showcase at this event tomorrow night. They wanted to call it medicine man. Furthermore they suggested it being a margarita. I muddled an orange and basil and created a margarita on those two ingredients. Mike, the other bartender, bought some green chile spice and created a salt to rim the glass. It's actually pretty refreshing. The chef liked it and is working on a beautiful garnish to make it even more palatable. It's all about how things appear.
I missed running. I am over it. There is a yoga class that is beckoning. I think it is more of the iyengar style as Melody invited me to attend it with her. She prefers that style to the flow based music driven class that I enjoy. I had run out of classes at my current studio and am open to a different instructor. I know how bored I am in the class when I walk in and can barely contain my contempt for the music selection or flow sequence. I know it reads all over my face. Damn being so transparent. I sat through a work meeting the other day and forced myself to doodle about upcoming trips to not display how bored I was. I tried to appear positive and interested. I think I pulled it off since no one called me out during the meeting. Thankfully!
Must do vision board soon. It is time. I keep looking at the blank piece of poster board. I feel what is necessary to move forward. I know what I am interested in and the things I think about often--yoga, running, travel, teacher training, wine. And being in the land of enchantment. Making a life here. That is definitely a key component of the present. Must find my niche.
Enjoy your day. I am off to yoga with the lovely Melody.
So, running was not in the cards today. However, there is always tomorrow and I believe that I will wake up and head out. I enjoy the freedom of it. Especially the opportunity to reflect on my current state of things. I know that I made the right decision in relocating. Phoenix was supposed to be a temporary move and three years is more than enough time to be considered temporary. I enjoyed myself during that time. I strengthened some friendships, made new friends, had new opportunities in the wine world, enhanced my yoga practice and had the ability to hike Echo, every day, if I wanted. I met some fantastic people while doing the retail thing and all, in all, lived a blessed life. I just never bonded with Phoenix like I had in Denver. I am too earthy to truly thrive in the Valley of the Sun. Employment opportunities are always plentiful and I am grateful for that. Who knows? I might end up there again.
Regardless, I do reflect on choices while running. I should have went this morning. After last night's shift, I came home and inhaled some carrot cake. I love carrot cake! I had bought a slice at the farmer's market yesterday with the intention of sharing it with a friend. He had a birthday, last week, and I wanted to celebrate it with a slice of carrot cake and mimosas. However, I walked home from the farmer's market and didn't take into account the heat factor or how it would wreck the frosting making it unpretty to share. All of the frosting had melted to one side of the container. I could eat it but would be embarrassed to pass it off as a gift. It was no longer pleasing to look at, not a huge concern of mine, last night, when I sampled the lovely cake. I must remember where that cake hailed from. Delicious!
I feel, semi-accomplished, as I pitched a cocktail to showcase at this event tomorrow night. They wanted to call it medicine man. Furthermore they suggested it being a margarita. I muddled an orange and basil and created a margarita on those two ingredients. Mike, the other bartender, bought some green chile spice and created a salt to rim the glass. It's actually pretty refreshing. The chef liked it and is working on a beautiful garnish to make it even more palatable. It's all about how things appear.
I missed running. I am over it. There is a yoga class that is beckoning. I think it is more of the iyengar style as Melody invited me to attend it with her. She prefers that style to the flow based music driven class that I enjoy. I had run out of classes at my current studio and am open to a different instructor. I know how bored I am in the class when I walk in and can barely contain my contempt for the music selection or flow sequence. I know it reads all over my face. Damn being so transparent. I sat through a work meeting the other day and forced myself to doodle about upcoming trips to not display how bored I was. I tried to appear positive and interested. I think I pulled it off since no one called me out during the meeting. Thankfully!
Must do vision board soon. It is time. I keep looking at the blank piece of poster board. I feel what is necessary to move forward. I know what I am interested in and the things I think about often--yoga, running, travel, teacher training, wine. And being in the land of enchantment. Making a life here. That is definitely a key component of the present. Must find my niche.
Enjoy your day. I am off to yoga with the lovely Melody.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Friday's fun
Facial was okay. Just okay. I was spoiled by a girl in Denver who had great product and explained what she was doing when I was receiving a facial. Not to mention, they tax every service in NM. My facial for 60 minutes went from 75 +tip to $81.14 and tip. It is ridiculous. I must find a different place to receive facials.
I did manage to do something nice for me. I had a day off, received treatment, ran into some friends and had dinner with Danielle. Danielle is one of my friends that I will miss, dearly, when she moves in three weeks to Kentucky. Another free spirit living in the day type of person that I met to remind myself to enjoy life. She is a kind, gracious, fun. We had a few drinks near the Plaza and then walked to dinner at a dog friendly restaurant. She has a dachshund. Honestly, that type of dog terrifies me. They are small, mean (can be) and bark incessantly or in my experience with them. I remember one of my aunt's always having dachshunds. Her dogs were crazy.
So imagine my surprise when Danielle's dog is actually not that bad. He barked, at me, briefly. Then, he cozied up to me while we drank margaritas on a patio. When she left to use the loo, he remained calm and didn't get all cray cray (thankfully). He was sweet.
Dinner consisted of truffled orzo mac and cheese, risotto and scallops. I enjoyed the meal but wasn't in love with it. I thought all of dishes could have used salt. Still we had a nice easy conversation and wine. I had walked downtown and so Danielle, graciously, gave me a ride home. I read more of my book and went to sleep early. I had to go running this morning. I forgot to pick up gum, again, at the store. It isn't part of my necessary regime when it comes to running. I think it is more psychological. I want to chew gum while running. I woke up, hit snooze (several times) and finally forced myself into my kicks. I stretched and headed out. A little warm but not Phoenix hot. I felt fantastic after achieving my goal and know that it will benefit me next month while in Napa. Afterwards, I took the bus downtown to check out the farmer's market. They have a large spread of available vegetables, fruits, pastries, flowers, arts, etc that are sold on Saturdays from 7-12. It was my first trip to walk through the market and quite the sight. Many people socializing in addition to purchasing local products. I bought a coffee and some carrot cake. I wanted to celebrate a friend of mine's birthday earlier in the week. I love carrot cake and this piece looked amazing. We shall see. Today it did not work out to meet for cake/coffee but soon. I must be patient.
I do work in a bit. I should stop, somewhere, to pick up a protein bar. Bread does not sustain for a meal. It's been warmer than I would like. I foresee another night of sleep on the basement floor.
I did manage to do something nice for me. I had a day off, received treatment, ran into some friends and had dinner with Danielle. Danielle is one of my friends that I will miss, dearly, when she moves in three weeks to Kentucky. Another free spirit living in the day type of person that I met to remind myself to enjoy life. She is a kind, gracious, fun. We had a few drinks near the Plaza and then walked to dinner at a dog friendly restaurant. She has a dachshund. Honestly, that type of dog terrifies me. They are small, mean (can be) and bark incessantly or in my experience with them. I remember one of my aunt's always having dachshunds. Her dogs were crazy.
So imagine my surprise when Danielle's dog is actually not that bad. He barked, at me, briefly. Then, he cozied up to me while we drank margaritas on a patio. When she left to use the loo, he remained calm and didn't get all cray cray (thankfully). He was sweet.
Dinner consisted of truffled orzo mac and cheese, risotto and scallops. I enjoyed the meal but wasn't in love with it. I thought all of dishes could have used salt. Still we had a nice easy conversation and wine. I had walked downtown and so Danielle, graciously, gave me a ride home. I read more of my book and went to sleep early. I had to go running this morning. I forgot to pick up gum, again, at the store. It isn't part of my necessary regime when it comes to running. I think it is more psychological. I want to chew gum while running. I woke up, hit snooze (several times) and finally forced myself into my kicks. I stretched and headed out. A little warm but not Phoenix hot. I felt fantastic after achieving my goal and know that it will benefit me next month while in Napa. Afterwards, I took the bus downtown to check out the farmer's market. They have a large spread of available vegetables, fruits, pastries, flowers, arts, etc that are sold on Saturdays from 7-12. It was my first trip to walk through the market and quite the sight. Many people socializing in addition to purchasing local products. I bought a coffee and some carrot cake. I wanted to celebrate a friend of mine's birthday earlier in the week. I love carrot cake and this piece looked amazing. We shall see. Today it did not work out to meet for cake/coffee but soon. I must be patient.
I do work in a bit. I should stop, somewhere, to pick up a protein bar. Bread does not sustain for a meal. It's been warmer than I would like. I foresee another night of sleep on the basement floor.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Summer days, vision boards and sleep
One day off became two. I am thrilled. I went into work and we had too many scheduled. I happened to be in the perfect spot at the right time. The manager mentioned sending someone home and I couldn't express gratitude quickly enough. I had arranged a facial this afternoon and feared that I would be rushing to get there in time. We have a work meeting this afternoon and I knew that I would be cutting it close to arrive on time for the facial. Since I no longer had to work, I could rearrange my day and make both things happen without creating stress. I am glad that it worked out.
Plus, I can enjoy being outside and walk to the meeting. Why not? I drive, everywhere, and relish when I have the opportunity to not. I don't enjoy the stress associated with how people drive in SF. Extremely cautious. Driving in Phoenix is a huge contrast to how I drive now. There are speed bumps, everywhere, to remind you to drive 25 mph. In Phoenix, the speed limit is 55 on the freeways. The majority of people top out at about 75. If you try to drive 55, you get muscled into the right lane or create accidents. Do I have the opportunity to walk or bus, today? Absolutely and I will take it. Not to mention, this way, I don't have to worry about where to park or how much it will cost. The downtown area is not very forgiving when it comes to parking opportunities. There are a limited number of spaces and lots that accommodate locals and tourists alike. I find that I prefer spending time outside of downtown to avoid parking.
For example, yesterday, I met Melody for lunch at a local spot that was on the outskirts of downtown. We had a few beers and then chose to have one more beer at another spot. I was ready to relocate to a different vibe. We found a place that was convenient for both of us and had parking available. The thought of heading to downtown didn't enter either of our minds.
Afterwards, I went home and considered constructing a new vision board. It is time. I left my last one in Phoenix and have been inspired to consider new goals, desires, wants since relocating. I feel that there is a yoga teacher training in my future. My friend, Christina, recently got certified and she loves it. As much as I practice yoga, I think I am ready to expand my practice. It is another way to serve and I excel in this arena of life.
I did not begin my vision board last night. Instead I read, made dinner and drank wine. Not a bad way to spend a Thursday night. It was warmer than I thought and found myself sleeping on the floor in my basement. I think there was a 5 or 10 degree difference from upstairs to down. Everything was fine until the crickets woke me up. Relentless and the fan could not overpower their effect on my sleep while in the basement. I relocated, upstairs, and felt much better. I hope to not have to repeat that often. Last summer, sleeping on the floor was common and not enjoyable. I would wake up and my arms would be dead from lack of circulation. I would jam my wrists into the concrete and wonder why I ached in the morning. Silly!
Today is a fantastic day and an opportunity to enjoy SF. Cheers~
Plus, I can enjoy being outside and walk to the meeting. Why not? I drive, everywhere, and relish when I have the opportunity to not. I don't enjoy the stress associated with how people drive in SF. Extremely cautious. Driving in Phoenix is a huge contrast to how I drive now. There are speed bumps, everywhere, to remind you to drive 25 mph. In Phoenix, the speed limit is 55 on the freeways. The majority of people top out at about 75. If you try to drive 55, you get muscled into the right lane or create accidents. Do I have the opportunity to walk or bus, today? Absolutely and I will take it. Not to mention, this way, I don't have to worry about where to park or how much it will cost. The downtown area is not very forgiving when it comes to parking opportunities. There are a limited number of spaces and lots that accommodate locals and tourists alike. I find that I prefer spending time outside of downtown to avoid parking.
For example, yesterday, I met Melody for lunch at a local spot that was on the outskirts of downtown. We had a few beers and then chose to have one more beer at another spot. I was ready to relocate to a different vibe. We found a place that was convenient for both of us and had parking available. The thought of heading to downtown didn't enter either of our minds.
Afterwards, I went home and considered constructing a new vision board. It is time. I left my last one in Phoenix and have been inspired to consider new goals, desires, wants since relocating. I feel that there is a yoga teacher training in my future. My friend, Christina, recently got certified and she loves it. As much as I practice yoga, I think I am ready to expand my practice. It is another way to serve and I excel in this arena of life.
I did not begin my vision board last night. Instead I read, made dinner and drank wine. Not a bad way to spend a Thursday night. It was warmer than I thought and found myself sleeping on the floor in my basement. I think there was a 5 or 10 degree difference from upstairs to down. Everything was fine until the crickets woke me up. Relentless and the fan could not overpower their effect on my sleep while in the basement. I relocated, upstairs, and felt much better. I hope to not have to repeat that often. Last summer, sleeping on the floor was common and not enjoyable. I would wake up and my arms would be dead from lack of circulation. I would jam my wrists into the concrete and wonder why I ached in the morning. Silly!
Today is a fantastic day and an opportunity to enjoy SF. Cheers~
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
How I spend this Tuesday
I'm bracing for a long day of work. I am working a double and as much as I am thankful for the work, I am not looking forward to a long day of serving. Especially when I normally have Tuesday nights off. Tonight is special as there is a large party which pretty much ensured that every single server is required to work. My friend, Lisa, is in town and I had made plans to join her and some of her supplier friends for dinner. I was looking forward to spending time with them. I miss Lisa. In Phoenix, I spent quite a bit of time at her house, drinking wine and lounging by the pool. She is a good friend and I miss spending time with her. So, I was looking forward to having dinner, this evening, with her and her friends. I didn't ask off as I had not been scheduled on a Tuesday night shift for the last month. I didn't think it would be an issue. I didn't take into account the possibility of a large party. Damn!
Then, I scrambled to barter with any available server. The one guy, Joshua, works at another restaurant. I knew it would be a tough sell for him to give up his lucrative shift for a party shift for me. Still, I tried. It was a lame effort. I knew, going in, that he would not work for me so that I could go to dinner with my friends. The other available guy is an older gentleman who strictly works days. He will work nights if completely necessary. I thought, maybe, I would be able to convince him to work for me. I didn't factor in that, he, too, had other sources of employment. He does caterings for one of his neighbors. My options were diminished and so I chose to inform Lisa that I would not be joining her for dinner. She was like--okay, no problem. I suppose I was disappointed at her reaction. I miss my friends and was bummed that I would lose the opportunity at a night to be normal. I mean, Lisa knows me. Knows that I get silly after a few glasses of wine. Last week, while in ABQ at the wine dinner, I definitely hit my wall right as the meal ended. I walked back to my hotel and the next day, Lisa, commented on it. Not in a negative way but in a knowing way. I haven't established that with anyone in SF yet and so I looked forward to having a nice meal with friends that know me.
I went running to start my day. Of course, I hit snooze, several times, before actually making it out the door. I cursed the fact that I had not yet bought gum. It is a psychological thing. I feel that I will enjoy my run better if I have gum to chew. Silly, but a true thing in my flirtation with running. I need gum!
It was a beautiful morning and I feel better going. Although it will be a long day of work, I am happy. Happy to be here, happy to have went running and happy to maybe see my friend later. Life is grand and I feel fantastic~
Then, I scrambled to barter with any available server. The one guy, Joshua, works at another restaurant. I knew it would be a tough sell for him to give up his lucrative shift for a party shift for me. Still, I tried. It was a lame effort. I knew, going in, that he would not work for me so that I could go to dinner with my friends. The other available guy is an older gentleman who strictly works days. He will work nights if completely necessary. I thought, maybe, I would be able to convince him to work for me. I didn't factor in that, he, too, had other sources of employment. He does caterings for one of his neighbors. My options were diminished and so I chose to inform Lisa that I would not be joining her for dinner. She was like--okay, no problem. I suppose I was disappointed at her reaction. I miss my friends and was bummed that I would lose the opportunity at a night to be normal. I mean, Lisa knows me. Knows that I get silly after a few glasses of wine. Last week, while in ABQ at the wine dinner, I definitely hit my wall right as the meal ended. I walked back to my hotel and the next day, Lisa, commented on it. Not in a negative way but in a knowing way. I haven't established that with anyone in SF yet and so I looked forward to having a nice meal with friends that know me.
I went running to start my day. Of course, I hit snooze, several times, before actually making it out the door. I cursed the fact that I had not yet bought gum. It is a psychological thing. I feel that I will enjoy my run better if I have gum to chew. Silly, but a true thing in my flirtation with running. I need gum!
It was a beautiful morning and I feel better going. Although it will be a long day of work, I am happy. Happy to be here, happy to have went running and happy to maybe see my friend later. Life is grand and I feel fantastic~
Monday, June 23, 2014
Impatience
Patience seems to be current lesson for me. Sometimes, living in the moment, is a challenge. I want to live each day, fully. Meaning, I am impatient for things to happen. I get an idea in my head or a song in my heart and I want to make it happen. Hence the decision to move from Phoenix. There had been a sequence of events (signs) that convinced me it was time to move on. My landlord decided he wanted to remodel his home. Seems innocent but required a demolition of my space to achieve it. I knew at that point that I would be relocating. So, I put it out there and made it happen. I left a lucrative job, great yoga community, hiking with friends, shopping (I am shocked to admit this, but I did find that I loved thrift store shopping in Phoenix), restaurants that I frequented...basically, a highly active life to start over. I wanted it and I do not regret that I chose to begin again. I have always been this way. I enjoy a gypsy type of lifestyle. I thrive when I am in it.
But starting over takes time. Finding wine bars, yoga studios, hiking, common interests with new people in the city, breakfast burritos, dive bars/restaurants...All of this takes time to establish. Trust, comfort, familiarity of roads, ways to get around the city without gps, where to run, eat and relax. Slowly, I am adapting to this city and finding ways to spend my time. I am impatient with having the life I want.
I am impatient with my yoga practice. Today, I went to one of the instructors classes that I enjoy to find that she is out of town. Immediately, I begin assessing the sub. Flow, cadence and music. The flow wasn't terrible but the music made me crazy. I considered leaving multiple times. I convinced myself to stay as the latter classes are not improvements in that realm. Moreover, the yoga guru (whom everyone seems to love) teaches the noon class. His music is awful and his idea of flow is more half-splits and temple pose. He incorporates a couple chatarangas but not nearly enough for my liking.
I am reminded, daily, that I should have gotten certified while living in Phoenix. Now, I need to prioritize that decision and figure out which studio to train with. I am impatient with work, too. I prefer more bartending and less serving shifts. Currently, I am serving more than I think is necessary. For the time being, I am impatient. I do not mind serving. It is just that I prefer and enjoy bartending more. I am enjoying getting to know my co-workers. It is just that I miss my social network in Phoenix and Denver. I do have a few friends, here. Melody has been wonderful. Introducing me to some of her friends and inviting me along to events in the city. Then there is Danielle, my co-worker. She is a recent acquaintance that became a fast friend of mine. However, she is moving in three weeks to Kentucky to be with her husband. Happy for her but sad that I will lose a potential friend. I am impatient for the network of friendships. I know that I need to put myself out there in order to do this. Being open to opportunities that present themselves in social settings. For instance, I met another yoga instructor that teaches on Saturday mornings. I met her through a friend of mine who works with this girl. Random run-in to each other at a bar could lead to a potential great yoga class or friendship.
I must be patient. I do not need to force things to happen to be happy here. I chose this city, this move, this life. I will find the best breakfast burrito, wine bar, running trails and yes, a yoga studio. I might even manage to find the ideal work/life balance. Patience. Peace. Breathing.
But starting over takes time. Finding wine bars, yoga studios, hiking, common interests with new people in the city, breakfast burritos, dive bars/restaurants...All of this takes time to establish. Trust, comfort, familiarity of roads, ways to get around the city without gps, where to run, eat and relax. Slowly, I am adapting to this city and finding ways to spend my time. I am impatient with having the life I want.
I am impatient with my yoga practice. Today, I went to one of the instructors classes that I enjoy to find that she is out of town. Immediately, I begin assessing the sub. Flow, cadence and music. The flow wasn't terrible but the music made me crazy. I considered leaving multiple times. I convinced myself to stay as the latter classes are not improvements in that realm. Moreover, the yoga guru (whom everyone seems to love) teaches the noon class. His music is awful and his idea of flow is more half-splits and temple pose. He incorporates a couple chatarangas but not nearly enough for my liking.
I am reminded, daily, that I should have gotten certified while living in Phoenix. Now, I need to prioritize that decision and figure out which studio to train with. I am impatient with work, too. I prefer more bartending and less serving shifts. Currently, I am serving more than I think is necessary. For the time being, I am impatient. I do not mind serving. It is just that I prefer and enjoy bartending more. I am enjoying getting to know my co-workers. It is just that I miss my social network in Phoenix and Denver. I do have a few friends, here. Melody has been wonderful. Introducing me to some of her friends and inviting me along to events in the city. Then there is Danielle, my co-worker. She is a recent acquaintance that became a fast friend of mine. However, she is moving in three weeks to Kentucky to be with her husband. Happy for her but sad that I will lose a potential friend. I am impatient for the network of friendships. I know that I need to put myself out there in order to do this. Being open to opportunities that present themselves in social settings. For instance, I met another yoga instructor that teaches on Saturday mornings. I met her through a friend of mine who works with this girl. Random run-in to each other at a bar could lead to a potential great yoga class or friendship.
I must be patient. I do not need to force things to happen to be happy here. I chose this city, this move, this life. I will find the best breakfast burrito, wine bar, running trails and yes, a yoga studio. I might even manage to find the ideal work/life balance. Patience. Peace. Breathing.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
TBT and where I will be in a month...
Lindsay and Sara Jo are meeting me in Napa to run the Napa Half marathon. I cannot wait. Honestly, it is the first ever half marathon that I was truly interested in. The first time I tried to register for the event, I waited too long to register. We opted to run the Healdsburg Half. The following year, I had dreams of competing in this event and again, couldn't make it happen. This year, I was determined to get in the race. The registration opened and I was one of the first ones to sign up. I swear. Or in my mind, I was. The event closed within 20 minutes. It is that popular of a race. Thankfully, Sara also managed to register before the registration closed. Lindsay had to wait til the following morning. She agreed to be our driver to and from the start/finish. I appreciate that more than she will ever know. I like the idea of being shuttled to and from the start/finish but there are always obstacles with the return shuttle. The Healdsburg race was ridiculous. We waited 45 minutes between available shuttles. All the while there were other busses going to other destinations on a 15-20 minute rotation. We waited in the rain and had to rush to our first wine tasting appointment post race without a shower. Let's just say, I had wanted to avoid that. I wanted to be taken semi-seriously while wine tasting in the Valley.
This year, we can avoid that. We will have first class service to and from the event. Yea! I am heading to ABQ to pour at the Vintage Selection Tasting. My friend, Lisa, is in town and showcasing some of her best wines in her portfolio. I agreed to help pour as a way to spend my days off. I also wanted to see Lisa and drink wine. I can, maybe, make more connections which will aid my wine tasting venture in Napa next week. Win/win, right?
I am excited to see friends and drink wine. I must say, I love starting over. It always is new, fresh, exciting. The downside is that socially there are times where it feels very lonely. Instead of focusing on how lonely it can be, I try to make time of the solitude in a positive way. Meditation, running, reflection, reading and establishing a niche. I think I am on the other side of it, too. The first month was a little rough. Coworkers question intentions or work ethic as they don't know. However, with time, everything works out. I am in a good place.
Enjoy your day! I am going too. I started with a run. Next week, will be my third week of running. Habit formed, right?
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Happy hour with friends
Happy hour with Danielle was excellent. We met at a cute spot downtown. I knew of the spot as I had been there on previous visits while scouting out rental properties. I walked in and ran into one of my friends. It was ironic as I had hoped to see him at some point yesterday. I walked in and there he was. Too funny. I met his colleague and joined them at the bar. We exchanged histories of what we do and how we knew each other. The gal, Kim, mentioned that her last name is Harmon and she leads a yoga class on Saturday mornings that she calls, Harmony yoga. That was funny. She invited me to her class and I think I might check it out. She was certified by the studio that I have been frequenting and so I think I will recognize her style.
Danielle arrived. We caught up on our respective lives and b.s.'d work. It's unavoidable. As much as I don't want to talk about work when I am not there, it does happen. Especially with colleagues. We ordered polenta fries and salmon. Nice little appetizer although the fries were incredibly salty.
We walked to coyote and had dinner. Delicious. Grilled prawns, green chile mac & cheese and bacon snap peas. We drank a cabernet franc and continued to reflect on life. Danielle recently got married and will be moving to Kentucky in three weeks. I am happy for her and sad, too. She is one of my first friends here outside of Melody and a few others. It has been nice to have someone to day drink with. I will miss her.
I wrestled with whether or not to go to yoga. I could go running. Then, I chose to get up and head to yoga. I liked the instructor and hoped that her music selection would inspire me. Instead the music sucked. I was so bored and regretted my decision to not go running. It reminded me that I need to do something about my frustration. It is time to get certified. I can no longer complain about things I can change. I have been wanting to get certified for some time. I thought about going through with it in Phoenix but I hesitated. Now, I look back and know I should have made it a priority.
I do have time and opportunity to do that here. It's about choosing which studio to train with. That will be a goal of mine in the next six months. That and running. I forgot how much I enjoyed the freedom of it. And to be able to go in the middle of the afternoon is glorious. I do love that aspect of living here.
Soon, I will find my niche. It's been 6 1/2 weeks. I am making positive progress in meeting people and adjusting to this city. Life is grand.
Danielle arrived. We caught up on our respective lives and b.s.'d work. It's unavoidable. As much as I don't want to talk about work when I am not there, it does happen. Especially with colleagues. We ordered polenta fries and salmon. Nice little appetizer although the fries were incredibly salty.
We walked to coyote and had dinner. Delicious. Grilled prawns, green chile mac & cheese and bacon snap peas. We drank a cabernet franc and continued to reflect on life. Danielle recently got married and will be moving to Kentucky in three weeks. I am happy for her and sad, too. She is one of my first friends here outside of Melody and a few others. It has been nice to have someone to day drink with. I will miss her.
I wrestled with whether or not to go to yoga. I could go running. Then, I chose to get up and head to yoga. I liked the instructor and hoped that her music selection would inspire me. Instead the music sucked. I was so bored and regretted my decision to not go running. It reminded me that I need to do something about my frustration. It is time to get certified. I can no longer complain about things I can change. I have been wanting to get certified for some time. I thought about going through with it in Phoenix but I hesitated. Now, I look back and know I should have made it a priority.
I do have time and opportunity to do that here. It's about choosing which studio to train with. That will be a goal of mine in the next six months. That and running. I forgot how much I enjoyed the freedom of it. And to be able to go in the middle of the afternoon is glorious. I do love that aspect of living here.
Soon, I will find my niche. It's been 6 1/2 weeks. I am making positive progress in meeting people and adjusting to this city. Life is grand.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Running, surfing and happy hour
Best way to start the day, for me? Coffee, yoga and some leisure time before I greet the day. Today, I managed coffee and leisure time. The yoga instructor that teaches the early class is not a good instructor for me. She focuses too much on the anatomy of a posture. It is not a flow class as there seems to be no flow or chataranga's. The music is...well, horrific. I skip the Tuesday/Thursday 7:30 class as a result.
I was supposed to go running. I had every intention of waking up and accomplishing that goal. Work required my presence until late last night. First time I was there until midnight. Typically, we leave by 11. Last night there was a dinner party that did not want to leave. It was a long night. I didn't get adequate sleep to inspire me to go running this morning. I feel sorta bad. I should be running to ensure that the half marathon, next month, is not a mess. I do not want a repeat performance of the Santa Barbara half marathon from last year. At mile 9, I had to completely stop running as I felt like puppet on strings. My tendons were so tight that it hurt to step down. I recognize that it was self-induced. My training had been less than stellar. It had been almost nonexistent. I refuse to do that to myself again.
So, perhaps, I missed my training run and yoga this morning. I work in a bit and have the opportunity to go run this evening. I will be fine.
I might have a couch surfer heading my way in a few weeks. My hiking friend, Cody, and her husband had an Italian guy stay at their house for a few days. They went salt river tubing, to a few shows and spent time in Phoenix. This guy has never spent time in the U.S. and so he is exploring. He mentioned exploring more of the southwest and so Cody gave him my information. I am open to it as I have traveled other places and know that Cody and Jake are solid people. They felt comfortable with this guy and I do have an air mattress he can use. Plus, maybe I will see more of New Mexico from a tourist's perspective. I mean, I have spent a fair amount of time at Ojo, Bandelier and dining out in S.F. I could check out the Turquoise Trail, Jemez, Taos, Puye....I could go on. I know there are many things to discover about my new state.
I am meeting one of my managers for happy hour tonight. Danielle recently got married and is relocating to the south in three weeks to be with her husband. I am excited for her and sad to see her leave. She is a positive person to work with and kind. She worked, a bunch, this past weekend and we kept saying...we should enjoy a patio somewhere instead of working. Hence, our desire, to meet for happy hour, today, when neither of us are working. Of course, we are struggling to find a place that sounds ideal. Should it be food, drink or location inspired? I am sure that wherever we decide will be perfect. Hopefully, we will not talk too much about work as well. Kind of defeats the purpose of not working if we focus on that aspect of how we know each other.
Enjoy your day. I know that I will...
I was supposed to go running. I had every intention of waking up and accomplishing that goal. Work required my presence until late last night. First time I was there until midnight. Typically, we leave by 11. Last night there was a dinner party that did not want to leave. It was a long night. I didn't get adequate sleep to inspire me to go running this morning. I feel sorta bad. I should be running to ensure that the half marathon, next month, is not a mess. I do not want a repeat performance of the Santa Barbara half marathon from last year. At mile 9, I had to completely stop running as I felt like puppet on strings. My tendons were so tight that it hurt to step down. I recognize that it was self-induced. My training had been less than stellar. It had been almost nonexistent. I refuse to do that to myself again.
So, perhaps, I missed my training run and yoga this morning. I work in a bit and have the opportunity to go run this evening. I will be fine.
I might have a couch surfer heading my way in a few weeks. My hiking friend, Cody, and her husband had an Italian guy stay at their house for a few days. They went salt river tubing, to a few shows and spent time in Phoenix. This guy has never spent time in the U.S. and so he is exploring. He mentioned exploring more of the southwest and so Cody gave him my information. I am open to it as I have traveled other places and know that Cody and Jake are solid people. They felt comfortable with this guy and I do have an air mattress he can use. Plus, maybe I will see more of New Mexico from a tourist's perspective. I mean, I have spent a fair amount of time at Ojo, Bandelier and dining out in S.F. I could check out the Turquoise Trail, Jemez, Taos, Puye....I could go on. I know there are many things to discover about my new state.
I am meeting one of my managers for happy hour tonight. Danielle recently got married and is relocating to the south in three weeks to be with her husband. I am excited for her and sad to see her leave. She is a positive person to work with and kind. She worked, a bunch, this past weekend and we kept saying...we should enjoy a patio somewhere instead of working. Hence, our desire, to meet for happy hour, today, when neither of us are working. Of course, we are struggling to find a place that sounds ideal. Should it be food, drink or location inspired? I am sure that wherever we decide will be perfect. Hopefully, we will not talk too much about work as well. Kind of defeats the purpose of not working if we focus on that aspect of how we know each other.
Enjoy your day. I know that I will...
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Finally, returned to the world of running. Determined to do it, I set my alarm and forced myself out of bed, found my favorite visor and charged my ipod. A few people had mentioned trails near my house. Although I had not seen them yet or knew where they would lead me.
I stretched my hamstrings and headed out. The park near my house had trails heading both ways. I chose to head north and was pleasantly surprised. There was a community garden, labyrinth, and paved trails. I started running and forgot how much I enjoyed it. The freedom, breathing, all functioning parts of the body. I eased back into the rhythm of it with a little help from classic rock. It felt like a mixed emotions type of day. Not knowing how I would feel about running and finding that I enjoyed it. I plan on going Thursday and Saturday, this week, and increasing to four times next week. The half marathon will not run itself. Last year, I ran a few half marathons. The one in Santa Barbara hurt. Hurt, mostly, as I think, I had run 6 miles in the previous 6 months and then thought I could tackle the destination race. It did not work the way I had hoped. Around mile 9, my tendons were so tight, I felt like a puppet with strings that were so taut I could barely step down. Walking hurt from that point on. Thankfully, Sara Jo had also had little training. She walked the remainder of the half with me. We crossed the finish line and headed to the nearest bar to toast our efforts.
In August, I had another opportunity to run a half marathon. This time around, the Goddess and I ran a half in Georgetown, Colorado. I had done a few more training runs to avoid having a repeat performance of the wine race. I didn't want to ache at mile 9. Lindsay and I have been running partners since 09. She is great as when she feels like it, she walks. She doesn't judge or cajole me when I am tired. She is a supportive running partner. Our half marathon started with us starting slow and trying to avoid weaving in and out of people. I always find myself struggling to not waste energy in the beginning of the race. We stopped, at her request, at mile three. We alternated miles and when we finished, I was running. My legs were not super tight, thankfully. I do not ever want to experience that sort of pain again. So, I will be running for the next five weeks til the half marathon.
Based on today, I think, I will enjoy it and the half marathon immensely. I still need to figure out dining options. I have been lame in that regard. Normally, I would have all the restaurants planned out at this point. I have been distracted with the newness of this city. Trying to find my niche and create a support network. It's always exciting to begin, again. And, a little bit challenging, too. I get homesick for my social life. I think about roadtrippin to either Denver, Phoenix, or elsewhere. There is possibility this could happen in the next few weeks. The only issue with driving to Phoenix or Denver is that I will not run for three consecutive days. I know that the road trip will throw off my momentum.
I can already tell I am committed to running if I am putting off a trip to ensure my commitment. It did feel fantastic to run this morning. I look forward to the Thursday run. Until then, celebrate tonight!
I stretched my hamstrings and headed out. The park near my house had trails heading both ways. I chose to head north and was pleasantly surprised. There was a community garden, labyrinth, and paved trails. I started running and forgot how much I enjoyed it. The freedom, breathing, all functioning parts of the body. I eased back into the rhythm of it with a little help from classic rock. It felt like a mixed emotions type of day. Not knowing how I would feel about running and finding that I enjoyed it. I plan on going Thursday and Saturday, this week, and increasing to four times next week. The half marathon will not run itself. Last year, I ran a few half marathons. The one in Santa Barbara hurt. Hurt, mostly, as I think, I had run 6 miles in the previous 6 months and then thought I could tackle the destination race. It did not work the way I had hoped. Around mile 9, my tendons were so tight, I felt like a puppet with strings that were so taut I could barely step down. Walking hurt from that point on. Thankfully, Sara Jo had also had little training. She walked the remainder of the half with me. We crossed the finish line and headed to the nearest bar to toast our efforts.
In August, I had another opportunity to run a half marathon. This time around, the Goddess and I ran a half in Georgetown, Colorado. I had done a few more training runs to avoid having a repeat performance of the wine race. I didn't want to ache at mile 9. Lindsay and I have been running partners since 09. She is great as when she feels like it, she walks. She doesn't judge or cajole me when I am tired. She is a supportive running partner. Our half marathon started with us starting slow and trying to avoid weaving in and out of people. I always find myself struggling to not waste energy in the beginning of the race. We stopped, at her request, at mile three. We alternated miles and when we finished, I was running. My legs were not super tight, thankfully. I do not ever want to experience that sort of pain again. So, I will be running for the next five weeks til the half marathon.
Based on today, I think, I will enjoy it and the half marathon immensely. I still need to figure out dining options. I have been lame in that regard. Normally, I would have all the restaurants planned out at this point. I have been distracted with the newness of this city. Trying to find my niche and create a support network. It's always exciting to begin, again. And, a little bit challenging, too. I get homesick for my social life. I think about roadtrippin to either Denver, Phoenix, or elsewhere. There is possibility this could happen in the next few weeks. The only issue with driving to Phoenix or Denver is that I will not run for three consecutive days. I know that the road trip will throw off my momentum.
I can already tell I am committed to running if I am putting off a trip to ensure my commitment. It did feel fantastic to run this morning. I look forward to the Thursday run. Until then, celebrate tonight!
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