Crunchy ‘Nanas

Wa-hoo!

I am always faced with a mental challenge when I go to the gym: run for a couple miles on the treadmill liked I’ve set out to do before heading out to the pool. Usually, I get there and the pool looks so nice and inviting, beckoning me to skip the smelly ‘mill and just go for a swim. I can be easily tempted to divert all attention to its flowing waters. But, today I stayed strong and didn’t give in to temptation. I was good and did the two miles I bargained for. And yes, I am pleased with 2 miles because treadmilling is so-oh-oh snoozin’.

And can I say I am totally diggin’ this chick called Lykke Li? I’ve been intrigued these past few weeks since I read an article, but I didn’t rush to buy the cd. But, then we were at this independent shop in Brighton over the weekend and they were playing the album and the lady was nice enough to point it out when I asked what they were playing and really, if you are in an independent record store and you know you’ll probably buy it eventually anyway, you just do it, you know?

I’m not disappointed with my purchase. The album’s very catchy. You kind of have to get past her little girl-ish voice, but I think I’ve done it. It totally kept me going on the treadmill, all 17 minutes glorious minutes. “I’m Good, I’m Gone” kind makes me think of Feist’s “My Moon, My Man” and Peter Bjorn and John’s “Young Folks” mixed together, kind of funky.

And she swallows her ts (“li’l bit”) like someone else I know.

I’m not big on sculpture inside museums. But, I am fascinated by sculpture integrated aesthetically outdoors. (I’m not into anything that looks too industrial.) We dropped by the Yorkshire Sculpture Park on the way to a christening up north last weekend and found some interesting new (to us) installations. I am not so sure how I feel about the random hare people, but the Deer Shelter? Pack me up a sleeping bag and camp stove because I could live there. As long as the sky is blue anyway… I didn’t read any signs, I just walked into the structure built into the hill, and the shock of light and sky blew me away.

John Turrell, Deer Shelter

John Turrell, Deer Shelter

Henry Moore

Henry Moore

Along the Access Sculpture Trail

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Now playing: Peter Gabriel – Sky Blue (Martyn Bennett Remix)
via FoxyTunes

“And don’t forget: Elvendork. It’s unisex!”

Awesome. I love it. I stood like an idiot in front of Waterstone’s this morning reading the excerpt “from the prequel I’m not writing,” when in fact I could have read it all here. But that’s all right. It was worth it. JK Rowling. Gotta love her.

I think it’s time to begin re-(re-re-re?) reading the series again!

I was worried about yoga yesterday. But, the live-in masseuse worked his magic Tuesday night, and my muscles were less sore yesterday morning, and yoga was fine. Better than fine, in fact. It was a very fulfilling workout.

My instructor asked us what we wanted before we started and at first, we all just sat there, kind of duh, blank morning stares, where’s my tongue, how does it work? But, then someone said, “something positive” and I just thought yeah, something positive. That would be really nice.

And it was. I still find it amazing how simple movements can stimulate such emotion and release. Going into warrior I, over my usual thoughts of shoulder blades down, little toe rolled into floor, came this flood of positive energy*. In that instant, there was a bit of peace within my body. I just felt good, warm, happy. I hate to admit to being the girl who talks to herself in class (it’s possible I am already the one known to cry- I tell you, it just unlocks emotion, it’s like a good book or movie that way), but I’m fairly sure I whispered “thank you”. I just felt grateful.

Yoga is good for me that way. It helps keep me balanced in mind and spirit (though not always in body, but I think that’s getting better too).

[*It came again when I was able to go from downward-facing dog, to chaturanga, to upward-facing dog without putting my knees to the floor(!!!), but I think that was more pleasure from personal accomplishment than anything else. My arms are not my strong point. I am feeling it today, but yay me!]

I can run, I can swim, I can yoga without being reduced to popping ibuprofen and walking very gingerly up and down my stairs (peanut gallery: maybe that’s because you’re not training hard enough. Ya, ya, ya, I hear it, I hear it!). But, three hours in the garden on Sunday pulling weeds and pruning shrubs kicked my butt. Or actually, kicked my hamstrings to be precise. The problem is, I never think to stretch after I garden. It doesn’t feel like a workout to me (peanut gallery: well, by the looks of it, it probably isn’t much of one, the garden’s still a jungle. Ya, ya, ya, I hear that too!) But, it’s really nailed me this time.

I hurt. My live-in masseuse has promised to come upstairs and sort my ‘hammies’. He’s very nice like that.

I am a little uncertain where May went. At times, each minute seemed to move very slowly, each anxious second drawn out in slow motion. And then, in a blink of an eye, it was two weeks, then three weeks later. Time moves strangely when encased in anxiety and worry.

I left off on blogging as my family and I set off on a trip down to the West Country. My parents had never been to Bath, Stonehenge or Cornwall and I’ve only been a couple times, so we figured it was a good chance to go explore the South West. Unfortunately, somewhere along our route, my dad picked up a strong and stubborn bacterial infection in a broken blister on the bottom of his foot. The bacteria were quite content and just didn’t want to go. By the time my birthday came around, my mom, Crunchy husband and I stood together and informed my dad in no uncertain terms that he was going to the emergency room. It was apparent the oral antibiotics were doing nothing to end the infection.

The rest of the month was spent trying to make my dad as comfortable as possible in the hospital so he wouldn’t rip out the IV leads and catch a cab to the plane, making multiple phone calls to the airlines and Kaiser back in California and above all, hoping and trusting the doctors and surgeons to bring my dad back to good health.

Now June is here and relief has started to bring everything back in focus. I feel my stomach muscles releasing tension little by little, like letting a rope out to lower a person down the face of a rock, easy does it. My dad was released last Thursday and my parents are now home safely. The doctor in California who re-wrapped my dad’s foot said it still looked really good. He might not be walking as quickly as usual, but he has turned that corner with all limbs intact and he is on the mend.

Thank goodness.