Labor Day Updates

The weekend plans, for those who care.

Today, I teach two classes: my 10:45 AM Power class (thankfully continuing into the fall, so do come!) and my popular 12:15 PM Gentle class. We're gonna move for the power class; not sure about the Gentle yet (I often play that one by ear depending upon who is in the class and what people are bringing into the studio in terms of energy, injury, and places they want to work).

Right after, I am ostensibly heading east towards Mashpee, MA, where my sister and hubby own a summer home; I have not yet been to visit but apparently it can sleep 14 (and room for a pony). Big birthday weekend - I blew off my nephew and niece this summer (they are getting cash) and my brother celebrates his this weekend. My sister assures me there is morning yoga on the beach, so I'm bringing my yoga duds and mat....(do you use a mat for beach yoga?)

In the meantime - work, a largish project to crank out before I leave, and plenty of smallish tasks as well. Although we've officially settled on a price for the condo I have yet to sign a contract or hand over additional deposit money; and I'm thinking that might have to happen between now and when I leave.

Last night I spent a few hours with little (4 pounds 9 oz, 18 days old) Andrew snuggled in my arms and on my belly as I hung out with his parents. It's the little things in life that matter; this time very literally. I drove home with baby smell on my hands and trust me; it's not something you want to let go off too quickly. What a sweetie.

With any luck I'll be heading home Sunday night (avoiding the Monday afternoon rush off the Cape) and hanging out on Monday - West Hartford Yoga has two Labor Day classes - Power I with Nykki @ 9:00 AM and Gentle with Shankara @ 9:15 AM.

Have a great holiday weekend, all!

Blogging The Colin McEnroe Show

Pre-show
Its "Animal Week" on Fresh Air (good). But Terry is talking to a vet about pet euthenasia and I'm crying.....

Bumper
First day back to school bit. Cute. Teacher Middleton "likes to talk about food". Heh.

Opening Bit
The Irish innkeeper keeps veering into an Indian dialect....a lot more Chion Wolf on air than I imagined. Cool.

Into the Real Show
Bouncy and upbeat. Better be, after than pet euthenasia stuff.

Opening Monologue
Nice, same old Colin. But no traffic and news afterwards.

Guest: Gayle Collins
Nice and conversational, like riding a bike. Colin's back.
Trivia #1 - Colin and I were both (independently) at the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philly. I was there as audio assist for a dot com that was streaming the convention live, and had 360 degree webcams located on the floor. Mostly, I turned the knobs when the real audio engineer went to the bathroom. And gritted my teeth as various Republican operatives stopped by to be interviewed.

Wait - A Commercial?
What's up with that?

More Gayle Collins
I think Mohegan Sun is gonna be the go to "joke" of the show. Obama vacation. Vick apology. Plaxico Burris. Guns at presidential rallies. Alec Baldwin for Senate. Woodstock. Texting at Woodstock and Jumbotrons at concerts. Computer updates. This thing is pleasantly rambling and entertaining. Colin and Gayle at Real Art Ways coming up soon!

Back and Forth
Betty vs. Veronica. Old news to the bloggies, but fun to hear him vamp on this. Wondering why Reggie is not mentioned in this at all - it was sort of a four way tug of war - Betty and Veronica were also deciding between Archie and Reggie. If Archie and Veronica hook up, does this leave Betty and Reggie together?

The Last Word
Are you In or Out? I'm In (in terms of the show anyway). In other ways, I'm out.

Fini
Too soon! Too soon! But more tomorrow!

Bristol Adult Ed - Power Yoga

Tuesdays, from 5:30 - 6:30. A six week series starting Sept 15th, at Mountain View School in Bristol.

More information here, register here.

See you there!

House Financials

An addendum to my house huntng update - the financial end of things. My life has been on a 20 year financial slide. Starting with a foolhardy house purchase in 1989 (near the peak of another housing bubble, this has been my second) - the combination of an adjustable mortage, a separation / divorce, and falling real estate prices that made it impossible to sell or refinance slowly dragged me under, financially. When I finally did sell the place (2001 or thereabouts) I walked out with enough money to pay off the mortgage. 12 years and all that money paid out and I ended up losing about 30K on the place. Nice.

Since then I have been living with Zippy, and winding my way through some major life changes. But the past few years I have seen a bottoming out. I've got health insurance and a relatively healthy HSA. I've been socking away the max IRA contribution each year. I've been more or less on an upward slope in terms of financial health.

So this is a great time to get back into the real estate game - prices are low, mortgage rates as well, and there is an $8K tax credit for first time buyers (I qualify it's been well over 3 years). I can tap a bit of my IRA for the downpayment. And the mortgage payment + taxes will be quite a bit less than what I pay for my office rent and my rent to Zippy.

There are some tax ramifications - I'm pushing my office rent (fully deductible on schedule C) back onto my home (home office deduction, quite a bit less) but picking up the deduction for real estate taxes and mortgage costs. All in all I think it will be a win.

And though I am looking at a condo as simply a better alternative financially to paying rent, it would be nice if real estate does rebound a bit over the next few years.....

House Hunting Update Deux

I think I'm getting close on the house hunting.

I'm strongly leaning Condo - most of the single family houses in my price range need work - either interior, exterior, or both. Major stuff too - not just paint and rugs. And most are already at the edge of my price range - so not a lot of extra to invest in renovations and repairs.

On top of that, I'm closing in on 50, and not sure that I'm up for a handyman special. Between my engineering work, my yoga teaching, my yoga practice, and sundry friends and hobbies, I'm barely around much as it is. Even working out of the house (my plan, post relocation) I'm not sure I'm up for the normal upkeep (lawn, garden, etc.) forget a lot of home improvement projects.

I looked at a small cape in my neighborhood today - it was, by far, the best single family home I've looked at. But issues included:

* Roof shingles loose / missing
* Some exterior paint needed
* No kitchen appliances
* An ancient oil furmance (hot air) that seems to have been last serviced since 1987
* About 1/2 the window panes were cracked or broken
* Shower tiles missing / need replament
* Minimal and dated kitchen cabinets

Lot of work, no matter how you add it up. So I'm looking at a condo.

Of the condos I've seen, some really modern and gorgeous (inside) properties were just in fuky neghborhoods - the community was an enclave inside a neighborhood I'd worry about walking through. Too bad - great kitchens, all updated, stainless appliances. Others I've seen were pretty good - but either high taxes or high condo fees.

So I've found a place - an end unit of a fourplex (four units, one building) in New Britain. It's an end unit, and seems pretty quiet (I've been over there 1/2 dozen times in recent weeks - different days and times, to kind of get a feel for the neighborhood and complex).

It's a mixed bag that adds up to be positive. Lots of sq ft. A finished basement big enough for a pool table (would love to use this for my office, instead of the 2nd bedroom.) Big master bedroom, smallish 2nd bedroom that will do fine for (I hope) a yoga mat. Adequate closets (not overwhelming, but two big closets upstairs, a coat closet downstairs, and more storage in the basement. Big kitchen that is simply outfitted (fridge and stove, plenty of modern cabinets) with sliders to a very useable desk (room for a grill and a table, both which seem to be staying). Low condo fees. Relatively low taxes (for New Britain anyway)

On the down side: electric heat ($$$, but individually zoned, and I'm not really a big heat user). No dishwasher (not a biggie), no washer / dryer (hookups in the basement, I'm sure I'll buy these). Never enough storage, but it's way past time I did a massive purge both of my personal stuff and office stuff.

And if I go with this - well, I'm leaving Hartford. Not too far away, but being this close to Real Art Ways, Cinestudio, Theaterworks, etc., to friendly local restaurants (Tapas, Corner Pug, East West, Pho Boston, Spot Eatery, Mo's Midtown, Yanni's, Angellino's, etc.). I'll still be around (since I continue to live at the yoga studio) but it will be less like "my turf". From a blogging perspective - I feel like I'm losing something.

A bit of a drive to yoga, a bit of a drive from my friends.

Hopefully making an offer this weekend. We'll see.....

Yay! Colin is Back on the Radio!

Courant story here, a more durable link at The Laurel here

I've sort of known about this for a while (me and Malcolm are *tight*, and I've been reading the tea leaves for months) but it's nice to see it all announced.

One good sidebar, from the Courant article:

Chion Wolf will be an announcer and presence on the show.

I've been a fan of Chion's photography for a while now (blog Oct 07 and Jan 08) and it's been nice to hear her running the board and behind the WNPR mic on weekends. So I'm excited to see what she brings to Colin's show. At the very least, we'll have great photos of Colin's guests and occasional in-studio antics.

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

This one has been popping up on Netflix Watch Instantly for a while, and I've been kind of avoiding it, thinking it's akin to one of those mindless Will Ferrell pics like Talladega Nights.

But Dan Bern contributed 14 songs to the film, and as a result I better watch it!

Random Music Posting

Picked up a bunch of CDs in the past month or two. I've got a sample of these in the CD shuffle right now - listening as I get my Sunday morning going. Overdue blogging about 'em.

Kenny White. He opened for (and accompanied) Cheryl Wheeler back in May at University of Hartford. A wonderful surprise. I was taken with a few of his songs, and so picked up two CDs - Symphony in 16 Bars, and Uninvited Guest. I'm a sucker for the guy at the piano....and In My Recurring Dream struck my fancy in a grand opus / stream of consciousness sort of way like Dan Bern's Jerusalem or Springsteen's Jungleland.

Karen Savoca. I think she played the Falcon Ridge showcase a decade ago. I picked up her (then cassette) On the River Road back then (must have been mid 90's) and promptly lost track of her (and once I migrated to CD in my car, pretty much put my cassettes away although I do maintain cassette capability at home). She was back at Falcon Ridge this year and I was so delighted that I picked up her new disk In the Dirt. Karen was a delight in person (as she checked in and out her merch) and somehow I ended up with a copy of 2002's All My Excuses as well.

Girlyman was back at Falcon Ridge this year, and like many at the fest, I picked up their new one Everything's Easy (was a big seller), supplementing Little Star and Joyful Sign in my library. Also a sucker for creative songwriting and delicious harmonies. Also, I think they have the queer.

I make a point of picking up some music from the FRFF showcase performers that tickle my fancy - and this year's haul included Have You Changed The Brilliant Inventions - the GA based duo was a little *too* unicorn obsessed on check-in but their harmonies are sharp and bright, their songwriting strong, and I expect they might be back next year based on CD sales and buzz.

John Elliott also impressed from the stage, and his sales and festival chatter matched his performance. I picked up his American in Love CD, although his showcase featured songs from the download only Too Many Ghosts.

Oklahoma based K.C. Clifford was just a hoot, when she came to check in merch she was so friendly, funny, and happy, and full of show tunes - she was the pre-showcase favorite based on her aura alone. Liked her music too. I picked up Pockets Full of Hope at the fest. Initially a little bummed (not typically a fan of live CDs for new artists) but as I listened en route home, I realized her live CD was full of her between song banter and stories (along with a generous 13 songs)- which made me smile and laugh. So - good choice!

And finally, showcase opener Colleen Kattau & Some Guys won me over with her celtic (to my ears anyway) inspired music and lilting voice, her newest Inhabited Woman has fallen into regular rotation. She hung out in the trailer afterwards and chatted. A down to earth and delightful woman, a dedicated activist and reformer - she gave me a couple of disks by the late (and talented) Jolie Christine Rickman (whose songs Colleen continues to keep alive)

Rounding out the Falcon Ridge haul - Mecca Bodega, whose 2005 percussion work Skin is firmly embedded in my yoga music portfoilo. And Ellis Paul - one of those artists that seem to have fallen through my listening crack (although my musician friend Victoria Bouffard is fan enough for two people) - his latest The Day After Everything Changed is as good an intro as any to his music.

Wish I could say I have listened and digested all this good music - but so far my life has been a bit too crazed. So I chew on it all one bite at a time....

House Hunting Update

Just as I'd pretty much gotten used to the idea of a condo (and started actually imagining myself in a particular place) a ton of single family homes have either come on the market, or places I've looked at / drive by have dropped their asking prices 10K - 15K.

Argh! Back to square one maybe.....

Guac Dropper

Coined by Julie, following a splotch of guacamole that hit the celery sticks at the 2nd annual Bloggie Picnic (thanks Amy!). We've decided this needs to be an obscenity alternative.

* What the Guac?
* Guac Dropper
* Guac You

Spread the word......

Departures

Nothing like waiting until the last minute; Departures was held over twice at Real Art Ways and I snuck in this evening for the very last performance. I was expecting to be delighted and charmed by this movie - but I guess I had no idea how moving, how beautiful, how delicately resonant this movie would be to my own life arc.

I'm not a film critic, but I'll touch on a few points that really moved me. Visit the film's website for a synopsis before going further, if you'd like.

* Daigo's quiet acceptance of his limitations as a musician was most poignant, and on some level, speaks to any of us who begin to confront our limitations, our aging, our mortality. At a certain point, the arc of one's life begins turning downward, and perhaps this is when living truly starts. The film did a nice job of communicating this.

* There is a fairly major (and heretofore not mentioned) trans character (the film hinges on this subplot) - and the portrayal is sensitive, sad and beautiful.

* So many of the characters relate to Daigo (and Mike) in parental ways. It's quite a wonderful study of elders, mentoring, and parenting.

* The individual deaths and bereavement scenes were so delicately portrayed and wonderfully diverse.

* The loving way that Daigo and his boss handle the dead bodies - resonates with my own work in the yoga studio - so precious to lay hands on the human form.

* The similarity of food (in this case, a freshly killed chicken) to the dead bodies (my surgeon friend is a vegetarian; no doubt she sees this similarity as she cuts into the human body). Later, as Daigo's boss lustily ("I hate myself for this", he says) consumes friend puffer roe, and later fried chicken - there is a certain lust for life that was funny and refreshing.

As Colin McEnroe blogged, I ended up in tears through most of the film. It was so beautiful, so sad, so true. I know it's too late to see it at RAW, but if you do get the chance in the theater, do go see it. Or once it hits DVD - definitely a worthwhile rental.

One Problem with the Hartford Courant

Go read Colin McEnroe's weekly column All The Wine That's Fit To Make Money Off. It's smart and funny and more than a little wise.

Then look at the little footer at the bottom of his piece:

On the Web
For daily commentary, read Colin McEnroe's blog at courant.com/colin.

I've reproduced the hyperlinks from the Courant site. "Colin McEnroe" goes to a consolidation / search, of all references to Colin. Mostly a list of his columns, with an occasional article thrown in.

One might think that the phrase Colin McEnroe's blog might be a good place to hyperlink to, I dunno, Colin McEnroe's blog. Adding insult to injury, instead of simply hyperlinking over, they add (no doubt, for the benefit of those reading in print, courant.com/colin, which is also, amusingly, not hyperlinked.

Owie....

A long practice with an infrequent teacher last night, subbing for Barb. I typically like her practices (energy, style) and last night was no exception - strong, not too hot (lots of sweat, but the windows were open and heat was off)

However, she did a lot of crescent lunges (back heel lifted, not Warrior foort positions) and then when we went into a longish pigeon series she had us curl toes under. A few other times as well, come to think of it. Not particularly stressful, just with all that toes curling under it was a lot more calf stretching than I am used to, exacerbated by a lower leg assault yesterday as I blocked my pal Aaron from rolling into the wall (in hindsite, should have let him take the hit, my inner yoga teacher kicked in and I positioned myself between him and the wall in question, and he plowed into me when he rolled).

Way too much stretching for my tight calves - my left calf specifically feels a bit shredded this morning. I even backed off a bit as we dove into the final stretches on that side - but too little / too late.

Count me among the walking wounded.....as I head into teaching two classes today.

House Hunting

So, I am house hunting. This is driven by a bunch of things.

On a personal level, Zippy and I have been discussing some sort of housing move for a while. I'm a bit of a clutter hound, which drives Zippy (a rather neat and organized lad) mad. So he'd love to get me (and my clutter) out of the house. I'm never around anyway - between my office and the yoga stduio, I spend no more than an hour or two at home each day. We're no longer coupled and have not been for years - yet neither of us is dating - the simple act of cohabitating I think provides a minimum level of companionship (and awkwardness) to inhibit connecting with another. And at 48 I'm not ready to completely turn off my desire for an intimate relationship.

Back in January I was looking at apartments; and Zippy (who is always frustrated by the neighborhood here, specifically noisy neighbors and parking issues, neither of which, truthfully, is all that bad IMHO) fantasizes about finding a duplex where we can each have a side (so we can remain close but not too close). But with the recent drop in housing prices, the drop in mortgage rates, and the incentives to buy ($8K tax credit for first time buyers, which I qualify for, I last owned property in 2001 or something like that) - its seems like the right time to purchase. So right now, I am looking at and for someplace on my own.

I'm not really flush, but I do have $10K I can pull out of my IRA for a down payment / closing costs. My credit is not great but I've been slowly raising my score in the past 3-4 years. And I'm presently paying Zippy rent plus rent at my office which adds up to 100's more than the expected monthly mortgage. (I would plan to close my office and work out of the house, which I did for years prior to moving in with Zippy)

I was initially looking at small ranches and capes; keeping an eye on distressed properties and foreclosures. But after looking at a bunch of these which needed much work and had a lot of serious issues (things like roofs, buried oil tanks, structural stuff, etc.), decided that, at this stage in my life (48 years old, with an overly busy work and social life and my peak "sweat equity" years in the rear view window) I needed to be more reasonable; that a condo might make more sense.

I've been looking at stuff over in New Britain - convenient enough (to the yoga studio, to my balloon chasing, to my Bristol teaching gig). And though NB taxes are high, places there remain affordable and available (not so many condos in Hartford / WH / Newington / Farmington / Plainville).

I have figured out that I prefer an older / less updated place in a more rural / quiet area - have seen some really spiffy places in less desireable areas (often the complex is kept up, but the neighborhood is funky) and I am looking closely at one place in particular in a tucked away corner of New Britain. Looking to make an offer soon....I'm not in love with the place, but I've come to look at a condo as more of a long term apartment with tax benefits - not a perfect space to fall in love with.

I am a little concerned about being further from what has become my social world - Hartford's arts and films and culture, my yoga peeps, my friends. I am a little concerned about isolating and being lonely (my house sitting was very informative about my tendency to isolate)

On the other hand, I think working out of my house will make me more productive; right now I spend a lot of time at home (mornings and evenings), not working or kind of 1/2 working - I think with an office in the house I could get a few more hours in each day without really changing my routine. And though I planned for a 2nd bedroom office, the place I am looking at has a finished basement (presently occupied by a pool table) that might make a nice office - freeing up the 2nd bedroom for a yoga / music / library sort of alcove. Which is kind of exciting.

Much as I hate the idea of leaving Hartford, just not finding affordable spaces here that (a) will not require a lot of time / money / sweat and (b) are in parts of the city that I feel OK as a single woman living in. If you know of any give a shout....

Catching Up

I have fallen out of the habit of blogging. Since the folk fest, I have been scrambling (mostly unsuccessfully) to catch up. Between then and now, life has been:

a) A trip to Terre Haute (fairly unsuccessful in terms of the work, and equally unsuccessful in my attempt to finish up a report so I can send an invoice)

b) Continued house / condo hunting. I think I could pretty much be in the "tire kicking" phase for months if not years, so I am putting some pressure on myself to find something. Right now I am looking at a condo in New Britain. Will blog more later.

c) A lot of yoga teaching. Several teachers have taken some time off (vacation and such) and I am high on the sub list these days. So (for example) I subbed hot yoga 4x in two weeks (Tues & Thurs at 4:30). I've taught every day this week (Mon - Fri) with two classes pending today. And I've put in a bunch of hours at the studio - filling in for the manager, and working on marketing stuff.

d) Five days of house/dog sitting for friends. Not particularly stressful, but just someplace else I needed to be, one additional responsibility or pulling me out of my routine.

e) A pile of engineering work I continue to struggle to cacth up with.

f) My website client started ticket sales for the North Pole Express, sold over 4000 online tickets in less than 3 hours, and (unfortunately) the website (or more specifically), the inability to reliably and expediently stop ticket sales was a big issue. My fault, really - I should have been right there with my finger on the keyboard, but I was teaching yoga :(

So.....life has been crazy. But I'm back (sort of). And will blog bout some other stuff as the days unfold.....

Circle in the Square Drummers

Falcon Ridge Folk Fest

So I'm off today for my annual vacations, retreat, homecoming, Brigadoon - the Falcon Ridge Folk Fest in Hillsdale, NY.

The fest is turning 21 this year, I go back to 1992 with the fest (maybe 1991, I forget) and I've only missed one in the ensuing years. That first year, I pulled my car into the volunteer camping area next to a woman from Long Island named Ellen - we've camped together every year since, and work the same crew. Along the way we've added members to our little enclave (which has a decidely feminist flavor of recent years) and lost some - and we have our hangers on. People come and people go, but it's always Falcon Ridge.....so many familiar ane beloved faces.

I'm borrowing Zippy's truck, the better to schlep up a tent, dining tarp, cooler, guitar, clothes, citronella candles, snacks, yoga mats and toys, computer, printers, etc. I'm there for 4 or 5 nights - it's a long campout. I'm planning to teach yoga there every morning (did so last year, big success) and I'm a crew chief in charge of performer merchandise (tracking 70+ artists, 100's of titles and 1000's of CD's) so it's not exactly an R&R week for me - yet nourishing and revitalizing.

Just learned from Facebook that my friend Mary is bringing a camper this year. We're all turning the corner around 50 these days and we've been joking that one of these days one of us will give up tenting. Guess it was her. I'm jealous - I've been secretly shopping campers on Craigs List all year! I'll bungee cord my tent to her camper in case of a maelstrom.

So I will be off the grid. I'l take lot's of photos, maybe tweet a few times or post FB status updates. See you next week.....

Bull's Eye Rash

So after my hike yesterday - I hit the shower this morning pre-yoga. And drying off, I notice a little light circle on my knee. A-ha, I'm thinking. Bull's Eye Rash. Lyme Disease. Not completely surprising - I'm hiking in Colchester, I'm the only person I know in the balloon world not to get it. I'm due.

So I google lyme bull's eye rash to get some pictures, and well this looks nothing like them. Hm.....

Then I notice that it's right under (and the same size) as the little round footpad on the bottom of my laptop. Ooops....

Still gonna keep an eye on it - if it's a laptop indention it will fade quickly (and differently) than a tick bite / lyme infection. No sense being too careful with Lyme.

Lazy Blogger - Summer Edition

I'm in a bit of malaise or something, just too much going on in my life and not a lot of time / energy to blog.

* Teaching a lot of yoga, between my 4 classes a week and subbing. Also, my girl NP is out of town so my Tues / Thurs guerilla yoga has been on hiatus, so my schedule is off.

* I'm backed up a bit at work - been stuck on a particularly irksome report for a few days, have a few in the queue, and a couple of longer term projects in need of attention.

* Falcon Ridge Folk Fest is coming - I head up for the day on Tuesday (to stake out some turf, get the lay of the land in terms of merchndise, and bring up supplies). Heading back Tuesday evening, teach my Wed morning class, then back up on Wed for good.....through Sunday or maybe Monday. I have a bunch of things to do between now and then (pick up supplies, print out and assemble merchandise tracking books, etc.)

* I'm house hunting, been looking at small capes in the New Britain area. (to all my rich WH friends who keep suggesting it, no I can not afford to live in your neighborhood, sorry). Nothing fabulous yet but I've got time.

Free Intro to Yoga: Saturday 7/18, 1 - 2 pm

In case you are bored this Saturday, please feel free to come down to West Hartford Yoga (WHY) for the Free Intro to Yoga class, 1:00 - 2:00 pm, and led by yours truly.

WHY also has a summer special going for new students - a special class card good for 10 classes, for $10. That's right, $1 a class if you get them all in (the class card is good for two weeks, but even if you are only able to hit 3-4 classes it's a good deal). New students only, and this offer good through Labor Day.

Come on down for some yoga!

The Universe Has a Strange (and Wise) Send of Humor

So I wrote this overly long and cranky post about the Shiva Rae / Kriplau workshop, which I deleted because, well, it was just me being cranky and stupid and attached to my stupid crankiness. And off I went to the studio to an all levels class to unwind the tight hammy's and tweaky lower back that two days of pretty intense workshop practice, sitting, etc. without a really long deep unwinding practice had wrought.

And feeling pretty mixed about the weekend / workshop, what do I find at the studio but an almost entirely Shiva inspired practice (thank's Linda) which was exactly what I imagined would be the worst thing ever.

However, in the course of the practice I (a) completely reconnected with all the things I find wonderful about that sort of practice, (b) got a chance to root a lot of what I learned in my body and (c) found surprisingly healing to my lower back and back of my legs. Much different to wrap all that stuff into a full practice (with lots of vinyasa, a warm up and cool down) as opposed to workshopping, where we focused on particular and often challenging asanas. I sealed the deal with a lower back healing savasana - legs up the wall, a blanket under my sacrum, and a beanbag balanced on my feet - reminding myself that I am a pretty good teacher and can take care of this body as well as those of my students. I lay there in savasana grinning like a fool (and also crying a little) in thankfulness and joy.

So if you heard cackling in the class, it was just me being conscious of the universe's ability to give me what I need (as opposed to what I want or what I think I need) - I walked away with a much less constricted body, a better appreciation for the weekend, and an appreciation for myself. Can't beat that in 75 minutes on the mat. Thanks Linda. Thanks, Shiva. Thanks, me.

Sunday Afternoon at the Opera

Been listening to Sunday Afternoon at the Opera on WWUH 91.3 all afternoon. Keith Brown really mixes is up, not yoru corporate NPR selection of mainstream opera. But rather a good solid set of show tunes this afternoon (turns out it's the new recording of Pajama Game) and now "Beautiful Dreamer:The Great American Songbook" featuring Marilyn Horne (I love those mezzos).

Officially "Selections from the Operatic repertory ranging from Baroque to Twentieth Century." Not really opera in the Mozart / Wagner / Verdi mode - and I'm totally enjoying it as I wind down from yoga weekend!

Air Line Rail Trail from East Hampton

Zippy, JDC, and I went biking yesterday - last minute kind of thing. JDC suggested a wonderful spot - the Air Line Rail Trail that runs from East Hampton over towards Colchester, Willimantic, etc.

A fairly typical rails-to-trails project, with a nice gravel path perfect for biking, this is a bit different from the Farmington Canal paths I normally because of the scenery. The old Air Line route was known for several tall viaducts (bridges) - specifically the Lyman Viaduct (1000 feet long / 137 feet high) and the Rapallo Viaduct (800 feet long / 60 feet high). Now filled with stone and cinder and encroached by vegetataion, these spots nonetheless are spectacular to bike across - elevated with a considerable drop and view on either side. Some pictures of the old structures here. And props to Martin M. Bartel for a very useful and interesting website about the trail.

In addition to the viaducts, there are plenty of cuts through the granite and brownstone, making for cool and interesting biking, and a few neat bridges - a stone arch over a small road, as well as an iron bridge over the Blackledge River.

We did about 6 miles each way - from the trail head at East Hampton to River Road in Colchester (the trail is nicely marked with mile markers). Then off to East Hampton for a bit of ice cream and window shopping - and bonus, we ran into Zippy's friends Bruce and Loucindy, who live nearby!

My crappy photos from the day here

On the Yogafront

Hit the mat last night with Ms. Barbara, who dug deep into her history to teach the Ashtanga primary series. Before class (a smattering of the 2008 and 2009 teacher trainees jumped at the opportunity) my friend Jane joked "at least there won't be any abs" and I thought that Barb wuld sneak some in there. I was right - she found time for one set of abs before we moved into a pretty standard issue Ashtanga class.

A tad bit slower than a class filled with Ashtanga diehards might be, I suspect. We moved through vinyasa between postures (not between sides) and Barb stopped to demo a few things as we moved deeper into the twists and binds part of practice, but in general it was a deep and rolling practice. I can see how Ashtanga fans love it - it really gets in deep; the body gets nice and warm and loose. So it was not surprising, really (although I was, in the moment, shocked) to find myself sitting in full lotus pose (twice, for a few seconds) near the end of practice. First time ever. And like all of my "edge" postures - handstand, wheel, forearm balance - it was both exhilerating and terrifying.

I can see how a regular Ashtanga practice might blow out the body - shoulders, wrists, back - which is why it's not a regular studio offering. But it was so delicious to work through a practice that was deep and strong and challenging. Barb might make one practice a month a regular Ashtanga practice (a treat, there are plenty of folks in the studio who would love it, and we always get calls from folks looking for this variety of yoga). "It's a hard practice to teach and assist" she said afterwards - and I encouraged her to make use of her teacher trainees - there are two classes of us - 70 yogi's - who would jump at the chance to step into the studio and assist her, take a little bit of the load off.

Afterwards, my teacher and friend Nykki who took the class (and in fact, was the instigator of this little experiment) was beaming. I practice with Nykki a few times a week, and I practice with her regularly, and it was sweet to see her really enjoy a practice at the studio. One thing I have seen is that teaching really impacts one's ability to get one's own practice in (less so for me, I do not teach all that much and my own practice has plenty of space for growth) but some of the senior teachers do not really get the chance to get deep into their bodies with the regular class schedule, they get kind of pot bound in a way and need to go outside of the studio for their yoga fix. So it's nice to see a friend and beloved teacher with that post-practice glow and buzz.....

Was pretty happy with my body last night - the usual kvetching about belly and flesh getting in the way of the deep twists and binds, of course. And the crankiness in my shoulder during vinyasa in the middle / end of the series. But my strained left calf muscle was pretty quiet - reverse triangle was really the only place I struggled and needed to modify - the warrior, triangle, pyramid, and forward fold postures (where I might expect some difficulty) were all fine. A little sensation and awareness, but no pain or strain. And it all feels good this morning....beyond the deeper, yummy ache of a strong practice.

I'm teaching a lot in the coming week:

* Friday 7/3 - WHY Power I @ 10:45 AM, $5 Gentle @ 12:15 PM
* Sunday 7/5 - Gentle @ 9:00 AM (sub for Sharon)
* Monday 7/6 - $5 Gentle @ 12:15 PM (sub for Sharon) and Core-Ab at 7:45 PM
* Tuesday 7/7 - Gentle @ 9:15 AM (sub for Sharon) and Hot @ 4:30 PM (sub for Carissa, maybe)
* Wednesday 7/8 - All Levels @ 9:00 AM, 7:00 PM class in Meriden (sub for Dennis)
* Friday 7/10 - WHY Power I @ 10:45 AM

Then off to Kripalu for a weekend workshop with Shiva Rae! Yeah!

20 Classes

Just summarizing June (cleaning up my work calendar, teaching calendar, and setting up July and August) and I note that I taught 20 yoga classes last month. That's not counting assisting (a few times) and of course all the classes I took. And looking ahead, I have 24 or so already scheduled for July and 20+ in August.

Pretty sweet - when I think that last year at this time I was just getting started...I am truly fortunate to be able to do what I love.

First of the Month Tasks

No particular reason, just kind of nice to write it all down once in a while. Always a busy day or two.....

* Download monthly ticket orders for EST, sort by type, and send report to client
* Pull Google, Yahoo, and Facebook advertisisng stats and expenses down for invoicing EST
* Put together EST online marketing spreadsheet and forward to contacts
* Pull WHY outgoing emails, craiglist ads, constant contact mailings and record in-studio hours from calendar(s)
* Capture outgoing emails from laptop for retainer clients (EST, SMS, TE)
* Capture outgoing emails from desktop for retainer clients (EST, SMS, TE)
* Export Site reports completed for SMS

* WHY invoice (email)
* EST Invoice (PDF and paper)
* SMS Invoice (PDF and Online Invoicing Site)
* TE Invoice (PDF and paper)
* TAMS Invoice (PDF and paper)

* Record monthly yoga classes - regular classes and subbing
* Erase Dry Erase calendar for present month
* Set up Dry Erase calendar for month after present one

* Export personal and business checking into spreadsheet for tax purposes, document checks recieved for subbing
* Clean up SMS sites (delete expanded files), periodically archive sites to CD ROM (copy to client) and delete aged sites from Hard Drive

Shiva Rae - The Mandala of Asanas

I'm headed up to Kripalu in a few weeks for a workshop with Shiva Rae - The Mandala of Asanas: Essential Tools for Teaching Flow

Looking forward to it on multiple fronts. I have never been to Kripalu for a workshop (just enlightement intensives and concerts). I've never worked with Shiva Rae, although two of favorite teachers have worked with her and I love what I perceive to be Shiva Rae textures in their teaching. And I frankly need a little time away from teaching - to eat good food, get away from the computer and the office, get some decent rest (she writes at 1:46 am), get some time for meditation, contemplation, and self.

Let you know how it is. Any local yogis who might be going, let me know. Maybe we can carpool.....

My Left Knee

I've been among the walking wounded the last week or so. I think I pulled or strained a muscle (gastrocnemius or soleus) in my left lower leg (inside calf muscle). A lot of walking / biking / hiking proceeding the strain. So I've been taking it easy. But I think working around the strain has also pulled my left knee out of alignment - I've had some torn cartiledge in the knee since my mid 20's that has never been acute enough to treat (surgery....no thanks) and it's all pretty benign as long as I do not stress the knee (no running), and the rest of the leg remains healthy so as to keep the knee in alignment. But I think this calf strain has upset the balance in the knee, so the knee has been cranky as well.


I noticed this big time doing a Supine abductor stretch with strap, although I'm also kind of cranky with forward folds and abs with straight legs. So I've been nursing my left leg through my practice and teaching - taking it easy.

It's actually been a really interesting anatomy / asana lesson working with this. Each posture becomes a mental checklist "not tight in my calf" or "tight in my calf" or "tight in my inner calf (ouch!)" or "tight in my outer calf (cool)" - I'm noticing that tightness (and the need to modify) in some unexpected postures. I commented to Brab tonight "if there were a way to simulate this sort of restriction in various muscles, one could really learn about postures". Now that I think about it, I think maybe Tias Little did something like that in his teacher training (maybe using a strap to restrict movement).....will have to review the material and my notes.

Practicing tonight - I cranked into a deep (for me) Hanumanasana (full splits) and Nykki kind of watched with that scared "should you really be doing that with your leg?" face - but it was fine (right leg forward) - on the other side I did a little Janu Sirsasana stretch instead.

Things are healing up, a little stronger and less pain each day, and I continue to practice consciously. A little roadbump, and an educational one at that.

House Hunting

I'm looking for a place to live.

I've been living with Zippy since 2001 or thereabouts - before that I owned a home in Waterbury for 12+ years. That homeowner experience was painful - bought the house for $111,500 (right near the late 80's peak) and sold it for $84,500 (right near the bottom; it sat on the market unoccupied, for a year). You do the math. To add insult to injury I had an ARM and was paying close to $1000/month through much of the life of the loan. And I never could refinance, so I just kind of hung on until I was finally able to get out. And in hindsight, if I had remained in Waterbury a few more years, I might have gotten out with some pretty nice $$$. But hindsight is 20/20; I was ready to leave Waterbury, moving to Hartford has been positively live changing.

So, Zippy and I have not been coupled for a few years now, and to be honest, we're kind of wearing on each other. There are two sides to it; but Zippy needs his space, needs less clutter and more calm, etc. My energy and focus is scattered - my teaching, my engineering, etc. engage me such that I do not spend much time or energy on the home front. I ned to make some pretty significant shifts in my life and that work is not getting done in my present living situation. So I'm thinking it's time to mosey along.

I'm a bit fearful of this move - I've been in a reasonably stable place financially for a while - my rent + 1/2 utilities to Zippy is peanuts, and as a result I've been able to maintain a small office (required, the house is too small for me to work out of), fund my IRA, pay my quarterly taxes, fund my HSA, have some expendable income, etc. If I add residence rent + office rent up, I have enough for a decent monthly rent or mortgage. So moving is certainly doable. Zippy and I have been discussing it for a while, and the inertia to stay put has come along two fronts - his ability to pay the bills and support himself without my assistance, and my concern about moving my personal life and my professional life in one fell swoop, and the decluttering and purging that will be required.

But it's getting to be that time. And after looking at apartment prices and options for the 2+ bedroom places I would need (to be able to work out of the house), and the required 2-3 months rent / security needed to get in, I'm seriously looking at buying something. I have a bunch of accessible money in my IRA that I can use fo ra doanpayment, and the time is certainly right (market conditions, mortgage rates, incentives) to buy something.

I'm a little fearful of a condo - between the mortgage, taxes and condo fees, I'm afraid of overextending myself and not sure how I would do with condo living (I've beein in single family homes for 20 years or so). Most single family homes on the conventional market are out of range. Been looking at foreclosures - and there are some deals out there. But I need to be cognizant of the fact that I am no longer a 30 year old with unlimited energy - I barely have enough time for life as it is so a fixer-upper is going to take some doing.

So my brain is churning (hence the 1:00 am blog posting here). I found, and went to look at a foreclosure in New Britain this afternoon - and while it looked reasonable outside (for a place that has been vacant 6 months) the inside was pretty funky (not stripped out or anything, but needing much work). Nevertheless, I am proceeding with a mortgage pre-approval and going to keep looking.....the lure of a place of my own. A room for quiet, meditation, yoga. A backyard where I can have a dog. An office in the house....all very tempting.

So, I'll throw it out to the universe. If you know of an available place (in the general axis of Plainville - New Britain - Hartford) keep me in mind. Entertaining rentals or buying something, and anything from an apartment complex, place in a multi-family, townhouse, or single family. 2 BR minimum, and I'd like to be safe with ~$800/month.

Me and the Storm

Spent a long day at teh studio yesterday - taught my 10:45 WHY Power class; a 12:15 Gentle class, and then assisted the 2009 teacher training class from 1:00 - 4:00. So I got out pretty much in time for the Big Storm.

I was running errands as the storm was heading towards Hartford - over on New Park the skies were getting dark. As I hit Elmwood (Corner Pug) dark, low clouds overhead were showing signs of circular motion - probably the first signs of what might have been a mini-tornado. The rain started as I crossed South Street, and by the time I got home, the storm was in full fury.

I parked my car in the street; and listened to NPR with the engine running in case an escape was needed - the winds were whipping up the three big trees on the street (one right over our driveway) and I could just imagine a limb falling on my as I parked. Then the hail came - maybe nickel sized at it's worst - as I waited things out. Finally, I made a dash for the house.

The power went out a few times temporarily - but mostly stayed on, as did the cable.

Around 6:30, I headed out to Wood N' Tap in Farmington for "Yogis Eating Non-organic Food VI". The lights at the end of the Rte. 4 exit off I-84 were out, and there was pretty slow traffic all the way down Rte. 4 to Brickyard Road, at which point Rte. 4 was closed.

Amazingly, the Wood N' Tap had power (although we did get to watch a tree limb slowing falling onto the patio). So a nice meal was had by all (I had the Thai Salad w\ Shrimp which was a little too noodley and not green enough for my taste).
Afterwards, driving home, I realized that power was out pretty much the whole way from Wood N'Tap to my house is Hartford. Kind of eerie to drive down Rte. 4 and New Britain avenue sans power - post-apocalyptic even. Wondering if the studio had power, I drove over there to see the studio dark but the teacher trainees cars filling the lot - was kind of surprised that there was not even candlelight visible (the yoga studio has plenty of candles hanging around). Must have been an exciting evening down there.

Power seemed to come back as I passed the Spot Eatery on New Britain Ave (but only on the south side of New Britain so the neighborhood was bright. Pretty amazing news photos, and of course, a lot of Storm Updates) on the news from 5 - 6:30). THis morning dawns bright and clear......bout time!

Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human

I heard about this book on NPR - an interview on On Point with Tom Ashbrook. From the publisher's website:

Ever since Darwin and The Descent of Man, the existence of humans has been attributed to our intelligence and adaptability. But in Catching Fire, renowned primatologist Richard Wrangham presents a startling alternative: our evolutionary success is the result of cooking. In a groundbreaking theory of our origins, Wrangham shows that the shift from raw to cooked foods was the key factor in human evolution. When our ancestors adapted to using fire, humanity began. Once our hominid ancestors began cooking their food, the human digestive tract shrank and the brain grew.

Sounded interesting, so I ordered it. Could not put it down - I've read it pretty quickly despite a fairly busy life and other reading obligations and opportunities.
Wrangham makes a strong case for control of fire, and cooking being the primary driver of human intelligence and evolution. Making his case via the fossil record (things like brain size, tooth characteristics, pelvis and rib cage signatures), via evidence of human culture (fire pits, tools, animal bones showing signs of being cooked / eaten), and human / animal physiology (experiments done with raw food, vegetarian diets, etc.)

An incredibly interesting theory, and presented in a very engaging manner. And an interesting tangeant from the whole food / vegetarian / raw food perspectives I normally encounter in the yoga world.

He expands his theory past the physiological to the social, making the case that cooking food drove humans to pair up into M/F households - with the woman cooking so as to provide a higher quality of food and the man providing protection (physical or through social relationships) from other men for the otherwise vulnerable larder of cooked / stored food. (other primates eat food as soon as it's available, so that there is less need to guard the family food supply)

Does not really change too much - we in the west still eat a too rich diet, filled with additives and chemicals, carrying a high carbon footprint, and we need to change. But it certainly makes me appreciate the value of cooking, the possible historic significance, and provide some basis for better understanding food and physiology.

Thoughtful

So the people of Iran are in the streets, and the President of the United States is not shooting off his mouth, posturing, and giving the Iranian religious leadership a bogeyman to rail against and use to rally the populous behind.

The right wing may call it timid. I call it cagey, smart, thoughtful and wise.

And thankful to have a President (for the first time in a long time) who seems capable of seeing past polls, avoiding a knee jerk response, and taking the long view.

I Sense a Trend

A few weeks ago, I was taken on a hike where my hiking partner related a "heart attack on this very hike" story. She then proceeded to comment "I think this is heart attack hill" on each significant incline. Reassuring.

Yesterday, we went to Devil's Hopyard, where a woman slipped 50 feet down an embankment, on Saturday, and had to be rescued by fire fighters. My photos from the hike, here.

I sense a trend.

Stepping Up

It's Sunday morning, and I am embarking upon the first week of what could be a challenging summer.

I take on two new yoga classes this week. Monday night, I am teaching the Core/Ab class, a 10 week series, that has been heretofore taught by Barbara, the studio owner and my own teacher. Needless to say, big shoes to fill. (not that we actually wear shoes around the studio but you get the idea). I don't teach as much power yoga as I do other styles (Gentle, Hot, All Levels), and when I do teach, it's somewhat less structured and more intuitive (checking out the energy and bodies in the room, even if I have a bit of a class plan it is rarely more than a particular body area (say, shoulders or lower back), a handful of postures I want to get in or work up to, and my instincts.

A series demands some discipline. Core-Ab will focus, of course, on the core, and on abdominals - so I will be tasked with building up the students from the start through the finish through an increasingly strenuous set of core strengthening postures. I will be working with a more or less fixed group throughout the series. And I will be working within the structure of WHY Power, the studio's signature practice.

At the very least, I'm putting together lesson plans, an outline for the series, and an outline for each class - and I suspect I might spend Sunday afternoons working through some of the postures and sequencing. Prep work for yoga - definitely something I have not spent a lot of time on since my early days of teaching.

On Wednesday mornings, I take on an All Levels class that has been taught for many years by Shankara, one of the more beloved, experienced, and charismatic teachers down at the studio. He's embarking upon a grad school program that will take him out of town a few days each week, and so I got the call to what is a pretty sweet opportunity (to step into his successful class, to work with some experienced students). I've been taking this class the past month or so, and it is different on two levels.

First, this class has developed into a more spiritual space - with silence beforehand, with some yoga teaching woven into the asana practice, with music and chanting. While I have a pretty strong spiritual core that supports and guides my practice, it is mostly under the surface. The skeleton and muscles of my practice - you know they are there but not really on the surface, and talking about this, teaching, is not something that comes naturally. So, in the Jude personal growth department of "being seen" - this class is going to be a challenge.

Second, the class as it has been taught, has been less of a flowing practice, and more a practice of sequential asana - postures stacked atop each other working toward a goal or pinnacle, or strung together in a discrete but coherent chain. My teaching is a lot less structured - my sequencing less about what postures connect theoretically and more about how the postures resonate in the body, feed the spirit. At my best, students feel connected to a flowing, natural feeling practice without a lot of start/stop. So either teaching from a different place (like Shankara has been teaching this class, with his many years of knowledge) or guiding these students into a practice style that is more authentically mine - will be interesting.

And finally, well, Shankara is a beloved teacher for good reason. He's incredible wise, experienced, charismatic, and intuitive. His students love him and woe to the teacher who steps in to sub - there is a palpable disappoitment, resentment, anger even directed at the poor schlub at the front of the room who is, above eveything, NOT SHANKARA. So I've got that going for me.....

I'm really not sure which way it will go right now - being true to my own style is important and trying to be someone else is a recipe for failure, but this is not about me, it's about my students - it's their yoga class. Time will tell how well I do with this. Right now I plan to expand and revisit my yogic reading - seeking inspiration from the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras, Iyengar's Light on Yoga and Light on Life to start. If I can find a theme for each class, do some reading and meditation about that, and build an asana practice from there, it just might work.

It's a temporary thing, these classes. Barb will be back at the helm of the Core-Ab class in the fall, most likely. Shankara will finish grad school or his class schedule will change next semester. Nevertheless, as the summer of 2009 commences, I am feeling a mixture of yogic emotion - happiness at being called to teach, pride at having come to this point in my own teaching, awe at being permitted to step into these important classes and experienced shoes, and a little bit of fear about not being good enough.

Wish me luck!

Enlighten Up

Went to see the new documentary Enlighten Up this afternoon, at the Pleasant Street Theater in Northampton.

The plot, basically: Film-maker Kate (Churchill) recruits journalist Nick (Rosen) to undergo a 6 month yoga journey, to dive into yoga and see if it changed his life. After sampling a multitude of yoga styles in NYC (good place to start) he travels further - California, Hawaii, and finally, India - and in the process meets, works with, and interviews some of the fathers of Asana yoga coming to the west. Filmmaker Kate wants subject Nick to get enlightened. Nick sort of never gets it in the way she expects him to.

Definitely a mixed experience. I loved to see and listen to these legends of yoga - BKS Iyengar, the late Pattabhi Jois especially, but many others as well. Many of the national yoga teachers have small cameo interviews. I loved to see Nick's experience with all the various yoga styles. A documentary wrapped around yoga, pretty cool.

Yet, the film's premise was, from the start, kind of rotten. 6 months of yoga, I don't care how extensive or concentrated, is pretty much scratching the surface. As if one were visiting the Jersey shore and coming to decisions about the Atlantic Ocean from that experience.

Kate is pretty brave, at the end - willing to bring herself into the film (I am reminded of the way Linda Hattendorf broke down the 4th wall in The Cats of Mirikitani, blogged here, although Hattendorf was a little more poetic about it. Kate allows herself to look like the bad guy here, to document her pressing Nick, and finally owning her shit (Nick says, and she keeps in the film, something like "I think Kate should have done this for herself". So her filmmaking rises above her frustration with Nick, her frustration with the failed experiment. Most tellingly, she opens up with a shot of Nick on a rock climbing wall, and closes with a segment of him climbing a cliff in Colorado. All that yoga, just to find himself.

Troubled too by the hubris of we westerners - thinking we can "get" yoga in 6 months, or by jumping on an airplane for a few weeks with a master. Not the first community I chaff against those who jump on the "fast track". The phrase "pearls before swine" came into my head a few times - Kate and Nick were able to gain access to some of the most enlightened beings and it seemed kind of funny watching them wrapped up in the making of the film and the project as this incredible wisdom lay open at their feet, were they just to stop, put down the camera, and pick it up.

The final segment, with Gurusharanananda, was most beautiful, as he seems to pull Nick in to a spiritual quest, not so much fo rgod or enlightenment, but for himself. Was a delicious exchange caught on film, and I think, a turning point in both the experiment and Nick's own growth and quest.

Definitely recommend it. On some level it does seem to paint hatha yoga (asana practice, as most often embraced as yoga in the west) as self involved and a bit neurotic. Funny - the Kunda-loonies, as Nick refers to them. Sad - the "Yoga for Regular Guys" practitioner, Diamond Dallas who closes his class with "Namastitties" and sees hot babes as the incentive to get men to practice). I saw a lot of yoga classes that I would probably walk away from upset or pissed off or frustrated by. The Bikram instructor in particular seemed kind of bored and detached.

If you want to lern about yoga - find a teacher, find a class, go do it. This film is interesting, but it's not yoga.

Five Star Farmer's Market - Coming Soon

Noticed this "coming soon" sign posted at the former Sleepy's store in the Walmart plaza (Flatbush Avenue, Hartford)

I'm guessing we are looking at another asian fruit and vegetable market (think Appletree or A Dong) rather than a traditional New England farmer's market.

Online here: www.5starfarmersmarket.com/

Edward Tufte and Aldrich Museum - As Heard on Faith Middleton

More community service. I heard this mentioned today on Faith Middleton's show (WNPR) this afternoon and have had a few blog hits already. (I blogged about a Tufte workshop a few years back and also mention NPR / WNPR a lot)

Here are some links: Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art / Calendar of Events

e-Flux.com has all the info

Faith Middleton show. Here's a link to today's show, although this is not listed in the summary (was just a quick mention. Although a blog with links and events mentioned in the show might be a nice feature...

Hartford Public Library - One Big Summer Night with Wally Lamb

Call this a two-fold blog posting.

Part I: Doing My Civic Duty

Come to this event, described as a major fundraiser for the Hartford Public Library. It's Friday, June 26, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. It's at the Downtown Library. Wally Lamb will be there, Colin McEnroe is the Honorary Chairperson.

One Big Summer Night with Wally Lamb
Author Event and Silent Auction
Reception, auction and jazz at 6:00 p.m.
followed by a summer supper.

For information and Tickets:
Phone: 8606956348
Email: afigueroa@hplct.org

Price / Donation : $100

One Big Summer Event - The Grumpy Rant

4/17: I'm splitting this into two posts to allow the event (which is a totally good and cool thing that I plan to attend) from the pretty obvious marketing abyss that seems to have accompanied this event.

Part II: Bitching and Moaning

I spotted this event on Facebook. I'm Colin McEnroe's Facebook Friend, and he posted the event. So I clicked through to the link and found the above information. I posted the following comment to his post.

Is this one of those "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" kind of things? Because I cannot, with pretty sharp understanding of The Google, find the cost of this event listed anywhere.

I can call the number or email listed on Facebook to find out , I suppose, but based on a couple of quick web searches, this thing is just not out there on the internets....how people not on Facebook are going to get this critical contact information, I am not sure, neither phone nor email is listed on the invite PDF

And go to the HPL website (I dare you!), and try to find this "major fundraiser" (per Hartford Business Journal) listed or linked. Because I cannot find it.....

HPL, you need to get the word out if you want us to come (which I hope to).

I'm kind of involved in the marketing and advertising field - one of my clients is a pretty visible local tourist attraction, and I work with them on their website, email marketing, keyword / search marketing. If we had a big event running in 10 days, you can be sure you would be able to plug the name of the event into Google and come up with something. Not so this event. You can be sure that if you visited the HPL website, you'd find a button or message on the front page announcing this event. We'd have it on Facebook, we'd try to seed it into blogs, we'd Tweet it a little. Something. Just to get the word out.



I'm pretty sure the mere act of my posting this to my blog will make this the only searchable web reference to this event. I'll keep an eye on my blog referrals the next few days and see how many hits I get, and follow the links back to see what other hits pop up. Does this make me the honorary marketeer / webwench for this event?

I dunno, maybe this is for the cognoscenti; you need to be on the mailing list or something. Maybe it sells out every year and they really don't want or need to get the word out. But if they did want to draw in some new faces and new blood, they need to do some marketing.

END OF RANT

Give Back Yoga Day - June 20, 2009

The Give Back Yoga Foundation is a non-profit, tax exempt, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting certified yoga teachers in offering the principles of yoga to underserved socio-economic groups who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the transformational benefits of this powerful practice, in all its aspects--from asana and stress reduction, through breath work and meditation, to general service to others.

Locally, a few events. Down at Newington Yoga Center (which I need to visit someday): Celebrate Solstice with 108 Sun Salutations / June 20 / 12:30 p.m. More info here

And up at Heartsong Yoga (also need to visit) in Eastlongmeadow, MA, 108 Sun Salutations, June 20 starting at 7:00 am (now that is something a morning person like me can appreciate) More info here.

Black Yoga Mat

I treated myself today - have been eyeballing a yoga mat down at the studio. It's a black rubber mat that appears to be identical to the pricey Manduka Mat (we had both in stock, so I really did a close comparison), but a lot less expensive.

This is pretty much what they looked like coming out of the box (no frills!) and since I unpacked 'em and priced 'em, I ought to know!

We got them down at the studio from David Swenson, and according to his website:

"This German-made Premium Black Yoga Mat has gained a worldwide reputation as the most durable and stable yoga mat available on the market today. I have come across a onetime opportunity to purchase a quantity of these mats direct from the factory at such an incredible price that I wanted to take advantage of it and pass these savings on to you."

With my teacher discount it was pretty reasonable and I like the idea of getting the good quality mat without the label for a lot less. We'll see how it works with a little sweat (maybe as soon as tomorrow night, assuming I practice with Barb) - but even if I still need a mat cloth, it's nice to have a second heavy-duty mat for when my Jade Harmony is soaked through and needs to be dried / aired out.

It was only a matter of time before I joined the Black Mat Yoga Borg.

Bonus Link: No Stress: Pricey Yoga Mats Sell Briskly in Recession (Time Magazine, May 2009)

Agora Ballroom / Stage West

An interesting article in the Hartford Courant, here: Popular '80s West Hartford Music Hall To Be Demolished

I moved to Connecticut in 1983, and I think I went to the Agora once - perhaps to see Michael Stanley Band. Or NRBQ. Or something. Hard to remember. And do not have particularly fond memories of the place.

But the story is interesting in two ways. The Topix thread for this article has actually generated some interesting comments - reminiscences really. Kind of neat to see the positive aspects of Topix; I am accustomed to seeing Topix wholly as a problem / nuisance.

And second, I had no idea where 165 Dexter Avenue in West Hartford is. So I looked it up on Google maps, and surprise, it's nearby - and I drive by it at least weekly. I've often wondered about the building (it's a pretty desolate industrial area, apparently long abandoned) - and now I know.....

Taking the Bus

Colin McEnroe, doing his column thing this morning: Joyce And The Art Of City Bus Dependence . Nice piece, and worth chewing on.

I'm not much of a bus person, I confess. I do not go places where the busses run all that often, so that when the bus might be an option, I'm clueless as to the routes, times, etc. and connections give me a headache. This despite the fact that my neighborhood is sandwiched between two bus routes - the 39 (which runs along New Britain Avenue) and the 41 (which runs down through Newington into New Britain). And looking at the Greater Hartford bus route map, I see lots of possibilities for bus trips from point A to point B in my life.

Mostly, I do not take the bus for the same reason I do not partake in healthy "slow food" that I know is good for me - I try to cram way too much into my life to afford the time to get from Point A to Point B via anything but my own personal carbon spewing vehicle. So (as on one day last week) I am teaching two yoga classes, sneaking in a few hours of work before and after, running to the grocery store, hitting the bank and the post office going to a doctor's appointment, meeting a friend for lunch, hitting the studio for my own practice, and and and and..... you get the idea. A car is the enabler that let's me cram my Type A life full, and if there is an extra 15 minutes in between stops I try to stuff a little something in there. I suspect I'd be a lot saner and happier if I were to slow down a little.

I hereby vow to find a good reason to take the city bus this summer. I thought about saying "weekly" but I'm sure that will not work (some weeks I do not leave the neighborhood) but there are potential trips downtown (the Science Center beckons) as well as out towards West Farms. Maybe it's a bit colonizing (this is vital transit for some, I am looking to have "an experience") but I need to start somewhere.

Werner John - Flutewalker Musical Arts

Just a quick aside, I ran into Werner John at the Sustainable Energy fest and picked up copies of his CD for a friend (wonderful yoga music, I suspect). I'm a big fan of licking up independent musician's works when I run across them, and glad I could buy some of his stuff.

Just seemed like a very grounded and spiritual sort of guy, with some beautiful flutes and equally beautiful music he has made using them.

Dr. Yogables Sing-Along Non-video Blog

First off, I am a complete poseur when it come's to Dr. Horrible. Late to the party, and all. But it's amazing. Must get DVD or download or something. I confess to a small crush on Neil Patrick Harris all the way back to Doogie Howser days.

But as for me, I'd turn my scientific genius towards temporary personal cloning. I could use a few lately, and today in particular. As I posited on Facebook, I'd clone up two additional selves today so that:

a) Clone #1 can teach a couple of yoga classes. And then help Shankara set up for Kirtan.

b) Clone #2 could sit at my desk all day working on the ever-growing backlog of reports and projects. Seems like I dig through a handful of report and a few more come in marked ASAP or URGENT, burying the backlog that much deeper. Three website clients have begun to drop little projects on me (none particularly taxing, but it adds up to a few hours of work). And there are two largish new projects, one trip report and adding a website feature that I am completely dropping the ball on.

c) Clone #3 could sleep in, cook some nice healthy food for herself (and the other clones) and get some much needed downtime.

Wish I could say that the weekend will be either restful or a time to catch up - even though there is not anything large planned, there is yoga to teach and assist and practice, a party I've been vaguely invited to, a support space I dreamed about last night (good clue that I ought to be there).

In other news, Happy Birthday Mom! Hope you enjoy a year of health, loving family, and joy!

I appear to be surrounded by Geminids - Barbara and Kristen down at the studio, Zippy, my mom, each celebrated a birthday this week.

Yoga Updates

Bunch of yoga stuff coming up.

This Friday evening (6/12) is Kirtan at West Hartford Yoga, with Shankara and Friends (I'm the guitar and bass playing friend). It's our last kirtan for the summer, so come on out and get your bhakti on! We start up around 8:15, and end sometime after 10.

Saturday is a Free Intro to Yoga class, from 1 - 2 pm with Shankara (I'm usually there to assist). I'll be leading the Free Intro class on Saturday, July 18th....

Sunday I'm subbing for Sharon (9:00 am Gentle) and Monday as well (12:15 Gentle) so a few more opportunities to practice with me.

And finally, the Summer 2009 schedule (starting June 21) has been posted for the studio, online here. I'm picking up a few classes:

Monday, 7:45 - 9:00 pm: Core Ab (new!)
Wednesday, 9:00 - 10:30 am: All-Levels (new!)
Friday, 10:45 - 12:00 noon: WHY Power I (continuing)
Friday, 12:15 - 1:15 pm: $5 Gentle (continuing)

SLOW - Kids at Play

Coming home from work this evening, an interesting sight. Two yellow signs in the middle of the road, with the warning SLOW - KIDS AT PLAY

Now, I am not 100% sure how I feel about this.

Neighborhood kids have been playing hoops in the street for a few years now - setting up those portable backboards that are never all that securely counterweighted, and topple over in windy weather. Slow down as I come up to them, wait for the next hoop or break in play, the kids step aside, with a small amount of "lets see how close I can come to your car with my body or the ball" that young men of all eras seem to use to prove their manhood. Have not (so far) experienced the old slapping the back fender with a hand as one drive by, and feigning an injury, but I suspect it might happen some day.

And more recently, kids using the road to play catch (proving their lack of wits, for each missed ball results in a hundred yard run as the ball rolls forever on the smooth, flat road) or football. I am reminded of Wayne's World - with the street hockey - "Game On! Game Off!"

Now, for the most part the neighbors are pretty kid friendly - retired adults or families with kids themselves who tend to drive pretty cautiously. But we do have the occasional example of Hartford's vehicular mayhem - road racers screaming up the road on 4 wheels or 2, as well as the occasional off road vehicle, piloted no doubt by an underage local.

So I'm in favor of any attempt to slow down the traffic. But plopping the signs in the middle of the road seems like it might not be legal, a diversion of the primary purpose of paved roads (transportation). You want to play on blacktop, do so at your own risk (the sporting way), or go to a playground.

A couple of weekends ago, a nearby short connector road (on the WH side of the neighborhood) was fully (and by all appearances, unofficially) closed for a party - cones and string and a sign marked ROAD CLOSED, a car blocking the road, and chairs, tables, and an umbrella plopped down in the middle of the road (for no apparent reason, the party did not seem all that large). Again, noted with some concern as to the propriety of colonizing public spaces for private use.

Something to keep an eye on as the summer progresses.....

Meandering

For a weekend of not much planned, I've been pretty busy.

Friday night, a pretty strong yoga practice with Tobey, subbing for Nykki. Tobey is a little more vigorous than Nykki (Baptiste trained and all) so it was a solid class - always hard to step in for a popular teacher. She's sort of similar in her energy and style of practice as Marcia (one of the studio teachers I practice with a bunch) so I was right at home.

Saturday, I trekked over to the Sustainable Energy Fest in Coventry, RI. I planned to stay all day, but got kind of wiped out - foolishly / romantically choosing to bike from the parking area to the fest (hills involved) and so as the day wore on, I got tired and anticipating the ride back (wanting to go in daylight and while I was fresh), I packed up early.



Ran into the Folk Czarina there, as well as Bob from Falcon Ridge. Highlights included:

* Keynote with Jim Merkel, author of Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth - very inspiring and wonderful background on not taking up too much space / resources / etc. Need to add that book to my summer reading list.

* Laughter Yoga with Chris Belanger - Great intro to this unconventional yoga practice, I certainly enjoyed it. Not exactly something I would do daily, but lots of fun and invigorating (physically and spiritually)


* Lunch at Clover Food Truck - Delicious Chickpea Frittata and Watercress / Parsnip Salad. The picture is from their website - yesterday it was labeled "Clover 6/6" and silly me thought it was some cool name (as opposed to, say, June 6th)

* Late afternoon snack (avoiding the always tempting festival ice cream and kettle corn) was a delicious beet salad (sweet and delic!) and quinoa salad. (nourishing, with cranberries)

* A workshop with Rebekah Greenwald, Exec Director of Riverzedge Arts Prioject in Northern RI, on personal approaches to sustainability. Pretty much an intro to the concepts of sustainability, eco footprint, etc. but also with a bit of a practical side in terms of not being able to do everything, and perhaps working to get the most bang for your buck by committing to high eco footprint improvements (often around automobile use and eating locally). Fresh and interesting.

Then I browsed the vendors, listened to music, but left around 4 before things got really cranked up, musically.

After I got home, Zippy and I went shopping, and en route home, saw our friends Lisa and Arran, heading to Angellino's for a post-pride nosh. So we stopped and joined them, getting a teeny bit of pride energy.

Endless Loop

I just noticed that my blog posts get echoed to my Twitter feed (via, of all places, Twitterfeed) and then show up in the little Twitter window to the side of my blog.

Now if I can get my blog to echo my Twitter feeds, I can create a positive feedback loop - that will continue ad infinitum - Twitter updating the blog, and the blog updating Twitter. Might even be able to squeeze Facebook in there as well (blog posts also get echo'd over there). Then I will just have to make one post to set it in motion and then I can go off and do yoga and let the Internets take care of themselves.

Telecom Tweaking

My mobile bill (AT&T) has been sneaking up there (a 700 minute plan, an extra phone, and a minimal texting package) so I went to see if I could trade down to a lower plan (I routinely rollover 200-300 minutes, my rollover minutes sit at 3000, etc.) - but the only lower plan (550 minutes) cost exactly 1 cent less, and I would throw away 2000+ rollover minutes. No thanks. Unless I switch providers, or cough up for a bundled package (seriously looking to switch the house over to AT&T from Comcast) I guess I have found my level.

On the other hand, I called Boingo - I signed up for a monthly laptop plan a while back (when I was traveling more) but have not used it since January. I have, however, gotten an iPod Touch which I would love to use at Starbuck's, McD's, and sundry other mobile hotspots. So I downgraded to a mobile plan (the only time I use Boingo mostly is airports, and the iPod will be fine for that) and that will save me $2 a month. And let me surf a lot more. Like I need that.

California Owes Me One

Hey, California. You got two of my favorite peeps out there - Nykki and Cheryl - and you only sent one in return - my favorite bovine, Pat, who is on the east coast until the 16th.

So you owe me one.

Newington Bike Shop

Headed down yesterday afternoon to get a bike rack from my car - one of those metal strap it to the trunk affairs. As usual, the folks at Newington Bike Shop rose to the occasion. Not only did I get a real live person to talk to, he helped me pick out a rack suitable for my 2007 Saturn, did not try to upsell me too hard towards a pricey THULE model, and even walked out back with me to mount the rack on my car and show me how to connect it prior to me buying it.

I also got to walk through the back room where they were repairing, adjusting, and building bikes, which seemed like an awfully cool place.

And yeah, I paid a few bucks more than I would have at one of the big sports stores or online. But I'm happy to cough up a few extra bucks for this sort of customer service.

Not sure how often I will use it, but I'll likely pop over to the reservoir or linear path a few times this summer with my bike, without having to borrow one of Zippy's trucks....

Not So Proud

I guess that Saturday is CT Pride Day, and the weather looks to be nearly perfect. Down at Bushnell Park, 11 am to 5 pm.

Have not been much into Pride Day for a few years now. Not all that connected or invested in the local community; the downside of living in a liberal, accepting place is that there is less need for a queer ghetto, and as a result, the GLBT organizations and businesses are pretty thin. The Project 100 / Community Center closed doors a few years back. There are two local bars (Chez Est and Polo Club), neither of which does much for me - not much of a drinker to start with, I rarely stay up past 11, and the GLBT entertainment options do not really resonate. I'm not all that big on gay marriage (it does not seem to work all that well for the straight folks....maybe we should find a different model) which is the one political cause that seems to have traction these days. And my membership into the lesbian tribe seems conditional at best. So, in general, I'm an "on the outside, looking in" kind of queer woman. I have a few smallish circles of queerness I move through but none seems particularly connected to any sort of greater community.

Were I hanging out on Saturday, I would no doubt show up (probably on bike), walk around, say hi to some old friends, make a few circuits of the festival grounds, and wander off feeling kind of lonely and disconnected. But since I will heading out to Rhode Island for a Green / Folkie fest (musicians I enjoy, workshops and vibe I can embrace, and yoga to boot), I get to avoid the "I really feel like I ought to be part of this but somehow its nor working for me" experience.

Casting Call

Is it just me, or do the two guys arrested this week for armed robbery in Bristol at the Webster Bank seem right out of a Hollywood casting call.

"Get me two guys for the perps. White, big, kinda menacing. Got that look of cold, calculating evil in their eyes"

While I'm at it, the Central Regional Emergency Response Team seen in the linked photos seems outfitted for a trip to Afghanistan - pretty impressive uniforms and firepower. Had the Republicans remained in power and intent on escalating the wars, they might have considered calling up local law enforcement, having pretty much burned through and burned out the regular services and the national guard units....

Sidebar, when I first moved to CT back in 83, I lived in Bristol, right up the road from this bank. I used to go to that particular branch when it was a Bristol Savings Bank - it's a pretty impressive office inside, one of those old-timey banks with rich wood, high ceilings, and marble floors that give you a safe, solid feeling.

TONIGHT: Black-Eyed and Blues Fest

I have to teach until 6:00 pm but I'm hoping to sneak down later for a bit....

Aetna First Thursday - June 4, 2009
A Greater Hartford Arts Council Event

This year will be chock full of great music, brews and BBQ!

5 PM-11 PM
Bushnell Park Pavilion, Downtown Hartford, CT
Admission Absolutely Free!!!

LINE-UP:

The Bluelights (5:00-6:00 PM)
They are like “Roots Music in Overdrive.” They draw on a wide variety of traditional music to create a new style infused with the energy of the rock ‘n’ roll music of our generation.

Eran Troy Danner (6:15-7:15 PM)
This band is a stripped down, no frills, back to the basics Blues band that has won the acclaim and admiration of true Blues fans everywhere. This red hot trio performs straight forward honest Blues and has opened up for Blues legend BB King, Lucky Peterson, Eddie Turner, Eddie Kirkland, and Blues Traveler.

Alexis P. Suter (7:30-8:30 PM)
Alexis P. Suter has a big voice and knows how to use it. Whether singing about spiritual ecstasy or earthly troubles Alexis makes every song she performs her own. Suter and her top-notch band regularly open Levon Helm’s Midnight Rambles, twice-monthly house parties at Helm’s home and studio in Woodstock NY. That is also where all the tracks on her latest album were recorded last year.

Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez (8:45-9:45 PM)
This beehive knows how to rock, from NBC’s SNL to many festivals around the world, Christine really touches her audience. She just keeps lighting up clubs with her hot guitar and eclectic live shows. Be prepared for a night of big time music.

Bronze Radio Return (10:00-11:00 PM)
Brandishing a soulful, bluesy and highly engaging brand of rock, this hard-working Hartford quintet has been making a lot of noise outside of the Nutmeg state, with tour dates currently on the books from upstate New York all the way down to Virginia.
The music will make you dance, sing along and feel good.

All Ages - No Coolers - No Food - No Dogs - Line-up subject to change
Factory sealed water bottles allowed.

RI Sustainable Living Festival and Clean Energy Expo

Completely last minute, but I am going! Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7, over in Coventry RI. Some really great music: Dar Williams, Vance Gilbert, Patty Larkin, Red Molly, Mark Erelli, Crooked Still, The Low Anthem, Atwater Donnely, Jay Mankita (among others). What looks to be some awesome workshops. Heck, even yoga....and other wholesome activities

It looks to be a great weekend, weatherwise. And the festival is totally cheap - $30 in advance for both days.

Bit of a haul from Hartford - and they have no parking onsite - but there is a shuttle bus from a nearby school (and I might take my bike and bike in from there). If anyone wants to tag along and carpool, let me know.

Something completely out of the blue, fun, and unexpected this weekend! Join me!

Falcon Ridge Folk Fest

I see, courtesy of Twitter, that performers are getting their "Emerging Artist Showcase" notifications. So it's getting close to time for me to get cracking on Performer Merchandise prep.

There are 46 official festival performers scheduled. Add in another 24 Emerging Artist Showcase performers, and perhap 20-30 associated performers (side musicians, friends of the festival, solo artists who are part of a group) and there are maybe 75 - 100 different entities wishing to sell merchandise at the official merchandise tent at the festival. Each will have some number of products - from 1-2 CDs (a new artist) to over a dozen. Some artists will also have books, shirts, DVDs, hats, etc.

Somebody has to track all that product - log it in as received, keep track of it during the festival, and log it out (and record the sales) at the end.

That somebody would be me :) - aided by a pretty massive spreadsheet I developed a few years back. Amazingly, they were doing this by hand prior to 2007 when I got tagged to help out. Not surprisingly, checkout took many hours, with performers incredibly cranky about having to wait to get their merchandise and money at the end of the fest.

I'm also hoping to lead morning yoga every day at the fest, up at the dance tent - so keep an eye out.....

3.4 MPH

West Hartford's Reservoir #6 this evening - I did the 3.7 mile (per the PDC website) loop at a reasonable walk in 1 hour, 5 minutes - 3.4 MPH.

Left my iPod at the office so no tunes - but a beautiful evening and a bit of wildlife to keep me company.

Always looking for walking buddies, so drop me a note if you are interested.