A place for random musings . . .
I’ve actually been doing a fair bit of musing this week (semana santa) as I only had two late morning classes earlier on in the week. I’ve also been doing a fair bit of catching up on my sleep, which has been wonderful.
The world is definitely a much nicer and happier place when one is well rested. 
I’ve decided to start doing more.
At the moment I’m paying 30 euros a month for the yoga classes, which is a pretty good deal as there are usually 12 classes I can get to during that time. But next month there will probably only be about 6 morning classes because of Semana Santa and the Feria. So I was talking with the girl at the reception desk about this today and then wondered about signing up for the gym itself. For some reason they have yoga as a separate thing you can pay for without having to become a member of the gym.Anyhow, it turns out that they have a special deal going so that I’d only end up paying 9 euros for the sign up fee - usually it’s 58 euros to join. And if I sign up for only mornings (8.30-2.00) it’ll cost 36 euros a month, which also includes the yoga classes. So, what the heck. For 6 euros more a month I’ll be able to also take pilates and stretch classes, as well as use the weight equipment.
But before taking the plunge I’m going to try out a pilates class tomorrow and also check out the weight room. Apparently there’s always a guy on duty there who will show you what to do - I’d really like to start toning my arms and building upper body strength. And I can fit in the weight stuff either before or after my classes.
Looking at the schedule I can make it to one class a day:
I hope I’m not biting off more than I can chew, but I suddenly feel quite keen to be doing more and it couldn’t be more convenient - just a five-minute walk from home. It also fits into my English teaching schedule quite comfortably so I’m going to give it a try.
(from November 2006)
The new me . . .
Well okay, the newish almost new me . . .
Part of the epiphany the other day had a lot to do with missing how my body feels. That was a big part of it as I could suddenly remember how it felt to feel fit and agile and happy within my own body … reconnecting to that feeling. That feels like me!
Anyhow, I will be starting back with yoga classes either this coming week or the next, depending on my work schedule. And I shall try not to get intimidated (or humiliated) by the ceiling-to-floor mirrors they have going on at the gym. 
Funny how things happen . . .
The other day I was looking around for a good thumbnail pic to use on a new casa az post about extreme diets … and I ended up finding a rather nice one and linked back to the photographer’s website.
And then I started looking around the website myself and thought it might be an interesting place to join and get involved with. And so, that’s what I did.
And so now . . . here is my new deviantART page!
Not really sure what to do with it yet. I’ve put up a few things and have been having quite a pleasant time browsing through the many galleries and visiting other people’s pages … and I thought you might like it too.
Can’t live without them . . .
But sometimes it’s hard to live with them.
This morning I had a bit of a run-in with a student who is also a friend (or so I’d thought). It wasn’t a particularly serious thing, it was more the way she dealt with the situation - or rather, didn’t deal with it - that I found upsetting. Well, basically because she was being dishonest and judgemental. So I walked home with that age-old feeling of how you can’t ever really trust anybody, how I was such a fool to get close to her, to get close to anybody, how I’ll never trust anybody again . . . gaaaaa!
Luckily Nog was here when I got home. My best friend in the whole world. And he listened to my concerns and then we talked about how we both get insecure about trusting and getting close to people. And then I got a notice to pick up a package at the post office.
It was from my friend Darlene in Toronto. Apparently my birthday present from last January that, for this and that reason, she kept forgetting to post. But talk about perfect timing - even though it was actually about eleven months late. There was a lovely note inside along with a CD - Hymns of the 49th Parallel by kd lang. 
But really, the note alone would have done it . . . reassuring me that my trust in people isn’t always misplaced.
So here’s to friends. 
Spoke to my little brother tonight.
Well, I say ‘little’ … he’s actually kinda big. It’s his birthday today - 37 years old! I said to him… “What?? Whaddaya mean yer 37? Do you realise how old that makes me???” 
I was 12 when he was born and remember holding him in my arms when he was a baby. Last time I saw him he picked me up like I was a piece of paper and gave me the biggest bear hug ever.
Anyhow, we had a nice chat on the phone and I also spoke to his nine-year-old daughter who doesn’t remember ever meeting me (well, she was only 2 at the time).
You know, I think I’ve got so used to living so ‘far far away’ from them all, but then at times I just want to curl up on the sofa with them and feel like a family. Especially with the big burly brothers. The idea of that is so comforting somehow.
. . . when you’re not smoking.
Well, basically just about anything else is better, but to help get through this first smoke-free weekend I have lined up a few projects to keep busy.
First on my list is to organize the scary boxes of old photos that have been lurking in the back of a closet for ages.
Then Nog and I are going to turn our spare room (aka Lua’s room) back into usable space again. Before we started the biz it used to look like this. It was kind of an office/sewing room/guest room ( a single air mattress just fit in there next to the table). But once we started the biz and needed a place to cut our garments it ended up looking like this. And it pretty much still looks like that except the table in front has been lowered so it can be used as a desk/sewing table. But it’s really way too cramped to feel comfortable spending time in there, which is a shame.
So the plan is to remove one of the white tables and put the remaining one against the wall as in the first photo (that other table is now in our living room) - it will still have bolts of fabric stored underneath it on the trestle leg shelves, but those shouldn’t get in the way. And we have already got rid of the extra clothing rack and have stored everything in the closets. It’ll be nice to have that room back … it’s been kind of like a ghost room since we put the biz on hold.
Third major weekend activity is to swap summer/winter clothes in our closets. Even though it’s still getting up to 25º here during the afternoons it’s like enough already. Enough of this don’t know what to wear today weather! Not that I’m in any hurry to wear tights & shoes but these days I’m having to change my clothes all day long (or at least add to/take off when necessary).
Otherwise and that, I suppose starting lots of blog posts all over the place is another activity that would provide ‘distraction therapy’ . . . so watch out!
What would we do without them?
Every Wednesday evening at 8.30pm, after I finish a double class with the two Agustíns (father and son, one hour each) Nog meets me outside their house and we take a short walk and then go out for tapas and a glass of wine (or two). And it’s something that is so simple and maybe not terribly ’special’, but if it didn’t happen I know I’d feel quite bereft. It’s just become one of those things that I never had in my life before, but now can’t imagine living without. Even Agustín Jr always takes a peek out his window when we are finishing our class together to see if Peter is out there waiting in the street. It’s become a routine for him too.
Other routines include our very lazy Sunday mornings and Nog brushing the cats when we get into bed and also our usual Saturday morning shopping/errand stuff. Just writing about them here because I want to remind myself about how special all these little ‘life routine’ things are and how I should never take them for granted.
What are some of yours?
This makes good sense …
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on. ”
“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.”
“So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.”
I found this on another blog this morning and quite liked the psychology behind it. It’s also something that I need to practice more often.
Change your eating, change your life.
Undoing years of chaotic or unhealthy eating takes time. Learning to eat in a new way, a way that will work for you for the rest of your life, is like an injured person learning to walk or talk again.
It takes practice before it becomes second nature.
Eating well can become that for you if you give it a chance.
Take your problem seriously.
Give it the attention it needs.
This book shows you how to eat with your hunger and stop when you are full. It isn’t magic, it may not happen overnight: it takes work. Sometimes a lot of work. But once you’ve got the knack, it feels magically different from the way you’ve eaten before.
Eating this way means:
- an end to diets
- an end to binges
- an end to special schemes to control your food
- an end to denying yourself the food you would really like to be eating
I re-read this rather amazing book a couple of months ago and it’s been slowly ’seeping into my consciousness’ ever since. It’s based on using these five simple keys:
Also included are basic instructions that seem so simple and sensible that it leaves me wondering why I ever wasted so much time and effort throughout my life depriving and punishing myself and my body with various diets (that never worked).
Because another part of the epiphany includes getting my body back. Of course, I still have to convince my inner brat to cooperate.
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