Saturday, June 30, 2012

Empty Plus Intrigue Day 175

Walk: R/T Mindful Body, Trader Joe's
Distance: 3 Miles and Teach





Did I tell you about at least one of the Table 'dates' probably being a (paid) regular used by Table?  There's been a consistent empty quality to the very polite conversations and 'events' I've had with my Table introductions that didn't square with how you'd converse with someone you were meeting in order to either date or see if you had any friendship/acquaintance future. So I began asking these men how it was going with Table, why they had joined and got sort of vapidly plausible responses.

But then my baseball game 'date' responded 'Huh?' at the end of the evening over drinks when I asked why he'd joined an introduction service.  "Ah Ha!" I thought.  So, I pursued, "You know, what kind of woman are you looking to meet?"  "Looking to meet?!  I don't understand.  I'm not looking to meet anyone."  Me, staring.  Him after pause "They call me..."  You get the picture.  Then he kind of covered "I like people; I like to meet people..."  Yes, that seemed very true; he's a total man about town, knows everyone, goes everywhere.  But someone who is essentially a professional escort possibly paid by the service is not who I or any woman is paying an introduction service to meet.  As I said, I got a similar feeling about my first introduction, and who knows what was going on with introduction 3.

So, I'm guessing we're looking at fraud - by Table and possibly by the 'introductions' who may be somehow compensated by Table.  Personally we're also looking at an insulting, empty (at best) experience.

Friday, June 29, 2012

Yoga Teacher Restorative -- Day 174

Walk: Nope
Distance: Mental

I think the extra 5 classes I'm teaching (along with the famous Table experience) finally caught up today.  I just  found a website I hope will be promising which focusses on burnout for yoga teachers. People in the helping professions (psychologists, ministers, doctors for sure, etc) have their own type of burnout much of it related to depleting their resources on behalf of others and not having many/any communal places to go for self-renewal.  (There is only so much recharging the Bible or other religious texts can offer. Same with medical texts and Dr. Freud). 

The thing that may be unique to yoga teachers is physical/body depletion/exhaustion.  We use our bodies (more then we realize) in their entirety to teach, even mentally to duplicate routines or poses or deeply 'channel' students, and then to do the necessary movements of life (laundry, gardening, shopping, and for many, children and family - life).  Like the other helping professions, we absorb a lot of negative energy from our students - after all, we are there to help them surface and release the resistances that are stored within.

It is all very rewarding, fascinating, 'transporting' with a life of its own.  But some days you can hit a wall all of your own. It's subtle and hard to 'own' because we yoga teachers live in 'caregiver heaven' compared with many others.  But I'm learning after many years of teaching, it can be complete. There really isn't a community place you can go; maybe this website will be edifying, but ultimately you/I surrender to the depletion and hope renewal/growth/the next planet is around the corner.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Remember Flakey? Day 173

Walk: R/T Fillmore, Urban Outfitters
Distance: 2 miles and teach private



After talking with me on and off all day, insisting I keep in touch so she absolutely knew for sure I'd show up at the venue to buy her Furthur ticket, I called one more time just before getting there.  Her reply: "Oh, I was just about to call you.  (me: I'll bet) I don't have the ticket. Long pause..My friend said she wasn't going to use it, but now she is."  Read: I got to the venue, and sold it for more than I posted on Craigslist and we agreed on. 

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Furthurmore, More Furthur --- Day 172

Walk:  R/T car Arboretum Tour
Distance: 3.5 Miles

Kind of lived on Craigslist and looks like a ticket for Furthur did come through and I was first to respond!  I'll drive over to the venue, meet the person with one (1!) ticket and a hundred takers, 'do the deal,' and then..

Furthur



At Terrapin Crossroads


For the First Time  --   Ever!!

And it's 15 miles away in a venue owned by Phil Lesh where the stage is no more than 50 feet at most away - closer if I'm lucky.  Wow; Not quite time to return to comfort zone after all.  This is very big.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

7th Inning Stretch --- Day 171

Walk: R/T Mindful Body, Sutter-Stockton Garage
Distance: 1 mile and teach

No more 'relationship candidates' to meet, just a couple of yoga classes to teach before Monday.  It will be nice to return to my comfort zone for a while....

Monday, June 25, 2012

Final Score --- Day 170

Walk: 2 R/T Mindful Body; R/T car/Giants game
Distance; 2.4 miles and teach 4! classes

Giants 8 - Dodgers 0

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Sorry, no title --- Day 169

Walk: R/T car, Sports Basement
Distance:  A few blocks and teach class at Sports Basement

Conserving energy for big 4 class, one baseball game day tomorrow.



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Saturday, June 23, 2012

Beware of Blog --- Day 168

Walk: R/T Mindful Body
Distance: 8 blocks, Teach Class

In case you get the idea from reading my blog that I'm actually the open, self-revealing person you see before your eyes, let me explain.  Decades before personalized tee shirts came in, my roommates in Washington, DC actually found a way to have a tee made that read "I Don't Want To Talk About It" because I said this so often.

If I'd thought at all about writing a blog, I might have dimly conceived of some sort of serious writing effort. Well crafted essays, that sort of thing. So who is this person you're/I'm reading?  Where did she appear from?  Talking about everything?  Nothing she won't talk about seems like.  Kind of beats me too how/when she showed up. 

As my friends Andrea and Rich, who strongly urged me to write a blog, say:  Well, guess the blog made you do it. 



Friday, June 22, 2012

Say Goodnight, Gracie -- Day 167

Walk: R/T Mindful Body and Misc.
Distance: 1.5 Mile and teach class

Well, see, there is this Dodger game on Monday night, and only a dork would refuse an invitation.  So, on Monday I will sub 4!! classes for a traveling teacher, come home, and change quickly into really warm clothes so I can go to a Giants game with my new Table acquaintance.  That's a quantum leap in Monday yoga activity on top of which will be a baseball game.  Somewhere my father must be laughing.  He had great season tickets to our local team - coveted by all but me.  My idea of entrapment in those teenage days was having to sit through an interminable (to me) baseball game, so of course my father would go out of his way to set up situations where I couldn't refuse to do so.  Like mention an up-coming game to the young man/baseball lover I was dating along with the fact that he was busy and would gladly give us tickets.  Who is going to stand between a baseball lover and great tickets - or not pull themselves together for a Giants-Dodgers game?  Not a girl who trained in Boys Town. 

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Just Fabulous!!! (Hmmmm) -- Day 166

Walk:  R/T JCC, Sports Basement, Urban Outfitters
Distance: 2 miles and Yoga Therapy exercises

Cont:  So the Table people called today to find out how it went.  They reported that my date thought I was Fabulous! and would Definitely like to see me again!!  Who knows what he really said.  Probably something like I said: "(S)He's very nice, attractive and easy to talk with.  I had an enjoyable lunch."  When asked if he'd like to see me again, he probably said something like, "Sure" as I did. But they probably reported something like "She's Really looking forward to your call!!!"

Oh well, as I said, he mentioned jazz and a sporting event.  So we'll probably do something along those lines if he calls.  I was just introduction #2 for him, and I would guess they have many, many women to introduce him to.  Anyway, if I see him we can work out the way Table oversells us all to each other. 

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The many faces of age --- Day 165

Walk: R/T Annabelle's/Stockton-Sutter Garage and misc.
Distance: 1 Mile

Well, he was a very nice man.  Attractive, easy to converse with, leads an interesting, active life.  For me he is a bit old but v. nice looking, fit, dapper.  A good catch I'd say.  For him I would imagine he thinks I'm a bit too young (maybe) but mostly that I'm quite different from the extremely wealthy, social/socialites he seems to be used to being around and possibly is seeking.  I've been in that social stratosphere (many years ago) and have no wish to go there again. It isn't a fit.  On the other hand, I think he fits with them perfectly and am surprised some wealthy woman hasn't snagged him.  (He's been married twice: first wife died and second marriage ended in divorce).

So that's my report on date 2.  Once again, I consider myself fortunate and found him to be very worthwhile company.  We'll probably do a few things together: listen to jazz, attend some sort of sporting event; he's definitely a man about town and elsewhere.

After the semi-highbrow lunch with him  I went to Marin and stood in line for last minute Furthur (jam band) tickets.  Missed out by one - ie, the last ticket was sold right before my next-person-in-line eyes.  Totally different world.  And talk about too old, I hate to think what the other people in line were thinking of me.  So there you go....

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

How much is that date in the window? -- Day 164

Walk:  R/T Mindful Body and Stockton/Sutter Garage to Dentist
Distance: 1 Mile and teach

Quite a while ago I paid Big Money (as they say on Wheel of Fortune; not really that Big) to Table for Two (a 'more exclusive' version of Table for Six).  It's an introductory service.  Over the years I've considered (but not very seriously) Match.com, Harmony.com and others, then for some reason (mostly that an old boyfriend is actually participating plus you don't have to post your picture on line) I decided I'd give one of the candidates - just one, once - a whirl.  Table got my vote.

After about a month they found one person for me to meet.  He actually ended up living just a few blocks away and being a member of a club where I exercise.  No spark, but, after a slightly glitchy start, we're sort of light-hearted friends having early dinners from time to time.  So, I felt lucky he was a quality person and also not to have had one of those ghastly experiences you hear about. 

Now, five months later comes my second introduction. It doesn't seem 'on paper' like we will have much in common but hopefully it won't be a negative event for either of us. We'll do lunch. (I had to do some manipulating to arrange that instead of dinner which I also did for my first introduction.  But lunches are so much easier.  Walks or something would be even more so but Table insists on some more 'romantic' setting) 

Same hope for a week from tonight with my third introduction.  Couldn't arrange lunch with him so we'll meet at 7 downtown for a drink.  They have guaranteed seven introductions in a year, and the time is passing so I imagine they are scrambling.

Stay tuned..

Monday, June 18, 2012

Pity the Pitta --- Day 163

Walk: R/T Mindful Body +
Distance: 1 Mile and take class

Just finished a dinner that consisted of many ingredients I enjoy a lot: spinach, carrots, chicken, slightly spicy dressing among them.  Well, if you believe in the ayuvedic diet and follow it, you will be shocked to hear now that I am a Pitta type.  Which for neophytes means I just ate essentially poison for my type who is cautioned against things like: spinach, carrots, spices, wine of course.  Oh well, at least we were named after a colorful, leggy, cute bird (if you're not into tails).



Pittas are a family, Pittidae, of passerine birds mainly found in tropical Asia and Australasia, although a couple of species live in Africa.  (Wikipedia)

PS - Happy Birthday, Morgie.....

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Clothes Opera --- Day 162

Walk: R/T Opera House/car
Distance:  1 Mile and another closet sweep with infinite try-ons

Nixon in China: moving, thought-provoking, sad, beautiful and fresh music. Even though the performance was outstanding from beginning to end - musically, set-wise and vocally, it seemed to me the audience had a difficult time applauding the main characters.  Nixon is still so hated in California.

I'll read my program later after removing the mile high piles of clothes from bed and floors. 

                     


 

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Busy with the Open --- Day 161

Walk: R/T Mindful Body and Sports Basement
Distance:  3 Miles and teach

The U.S. Open is here in San Francisco.  I'm rooting for Tiger (but it's not looking good).  My father manufactured golf clothes, golf was a huge part of our family life on many levels, and, no matter what you think of Tiger, golf needs him.  When Tiger is on top young people are attracted to the game, and many people in general flock to courses, clubs, professional lessons, golf clothes, just the game of golf in general.  Tiger is a Huge draw, a Huge reason for the economic upswing of golf. And vice versa: when Tiger is down, clubs, courses, pros, clothing manufacturers, golf periodicals, etc. fail - literally, fail.  So, Go Tiger!

Friday, June 15, 2012

'Our' Lake House --- Day 160

Walk: R/T Ivy Restaurant
Distance: 1 mile and yoga class

This is 'our' Lake House, that is my grandparents' lake/summer house which we all called The Lake House and where we all spent many hours.  Especially me.  I was raised here until age 4 when Mom, Dad, my younger brother (there were two more to come) and I moved to Connecticut along with my Grandparents' caretaker, dear, dear Zenon and his dog Nip.  When we returned I rode my bike here nearly daily in the summers and played tennis and took my boat out onto the lake - toodling around by myself, and over to friends' houses for waterskiing and swimming.  Everyone in our family loved this house, and we all have many happy memories.










The Lake House was sold in 1970.




Thursday, June 14, 2012

Light, Please --- Day 159

Walk: JCC
Distance: 1 mile and yoga class

Midwestern Summer Light:







'My' Light:



Can you tell the difference?  I can.  Both are lovely but the light in San Francisco/the Bay Area literally lifts me up - my spirits, energy, sense of optimism and desire to go out there and explore.
The light out here, 'my' light, is truly a presence, a friend to me.  It is possible/probable that most people would not notice or be particularly affected.  But I bet most of us out here aren't in that crowd.
It's nice to be back to the sparkle.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Trip Day 4 Return --- Day 158

Here's 'my' airline flying me back to SFO, Sun Country Airlines:

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Trip Day 3 --- Day 157

Here's "my" club, Woodhill Country Club:

Monday, June 11, 2012

Trip Day 2 --- Day 156

Here's "my" Lake, Lake Minnetonka:

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Trip Day 1 -- Day 155

Off for 3 days in Minnesota.  Will need to rely on my ipad and iphone for posts, and that hasn't gone so well in the past.  So here are a few filler pictures of some places I remember.  Wonder what they are like today.

Here's my school, Northrop (now part of Blake):





Saturday, June 9, 2012

New K. Libbey Nash Altarpiece Triptych --- Day 154

Walk: R/T Mindful Body, bunch of stair trips
Distance:  @1 mile and Teach



Here's my new triptych.  An iphone shot in full light and very blurry if I try to blow it up so you can see it better; I'll have to try again when I return from my trip.  I'm thrilled with it: the piece itself by K. Libbey Nash and the rich, beautiful, sensitive framing supervised by Kathleen and completed by her framer, Dave, with help from his wife and their dog who wagged his/her tail the most at the final choice of mat and frame.

Such a fine job.  I was really stunned to see the complete piece.  (It was done at my request back in Minnesota where I saw and purchased the unframed piece).  I was included in the decision making process, but as it played out it was really up to them back there because this is subtle work, and the iphone photos just don't read the colors precisely.  I feel it could easily hold its own in a museum near medieval altarpieces.


Friday, June 8, 2012

No Entry --- Day 153

Walk:  R/T Trader Joe's via JCC, R/T Athleta on Fillmore Street
Distance:  3 miles, teach class at JCC, try on more clothes

Busy conceiving of summer and preparing to dress for it.  Meanwhile new altarpiece tryptypch arrived from artist friend who also took charge of framing it.  Absolutely lovely.  More another day.....



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Thursday, June 7, 2012

Ready for Farmer's Tan --- Day 152

Walk: R/T car and de Young; Corte Madera Shopping Center, etc
Distance:  2 miles and try on clothes (whew)

My beautiful friend Andrea came to the rescue.  Reminded me of a store we don't like to support because of their politics (I'll leave it at that).  But, you know, they do do summer - affordable summer (and the other 3 seasons) at affordable prices.  So, now I do have summer things in my closet, and off I'll go into the heat this Sunday for a few days.  Thank you, Andrea.



Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Summer Whites -- Day 151

Walk: R/T Mindful Body, R/T Fillmore Street
Distance: 3 Miles, Yoga Class, Try on summer (?) clothes

Here I am in the proverbial full closet with 'nothing' to wear situation.  Reason:  I will go to summer, whatever that is, in a few days.  Here in San Francisco we live in permanent, Permanent Fall.  So colors, weight of clothes, sleevelength, layers are pretty much geared to that: dark, mid-weight, long, warm.  As I dimly recall summer, those clothes will be preetty uncomfortable in heat and humidity.  So I'm floundering through my selection for the coming trip to whatever we call that place where you grew up.
Even if I have the clothes right, the skin tone won't be.  Remember how we used to point and laugh at white legs.  Well, what comes around goes around....

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Let sleeping cats lie*.. --- Day 150

Walk: R/T MB, several trips up and down stairs to street(if you saw them, you'd be impressed)
Distance: 1 mile and teach

When her sister, Tika,  died a little over a year ago, my cat Callie began to sleep with me.  I felt sorry for her losing her sister and let her do it for a while.  Well, when will I ever learn that when cats find something they like it becomes an instant pattern?  They do not do it for a while.  Similar mental lapse when I took my first trip after Tika died and found Callie a catsitter who stayed with her while I was away.  Now, between my/our/her bed, cleaning girl and catsitter, she has learned she never, ever has to be alone - and I pay for my travel as well as Callie's live in while I'm away and probably with the allergies I've been mentioning lately while I'm here.

Oh, well, I'd hate to have her be uncomfortable (if that is possible for cats).









* Like Jon Carroll, the San Francisco Chronicle columnist I like, I will allow myself to have the dreaded cat column from time to time.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Oh no, Not Starbucks --- Day 149

Walk: R/T MB
Distance: 8 blocks, Yoga Class


Darn, La Boulangerie, a truly French bakery + in my neighborhood (and others) has been sold to...yes, Starbucks.  No need for saying more....





Sunday, June 3, 2012

Yoga Therapy --- Day 148

Day of Rest  



Spent much of the afternoon surfing about Yoga Therapy.  Think I'll let thoughts sink in.  Off the top I feel some are truly called to this, and, more importantly that Yoga Therapy as a healing modality is very
for real.  This is a broad base of practices actually - meditation, chanting, breathwork, ayurvedic cooking, mindful eating, massage of many types, asana of various types (vini, yin, etc) - and it is certainly the way yoga is going in our culture.  When I got my antibiotics last week my doctor told me yoga is very close to being covered by Medicare - so there should be some work for those with Yoga Therapy training.  If that happens, and it is an avenue of gainful employment, those employed will be standing on the shoulders of many dedicated healers who have been working unsung for a pittance for many, many years.





Saturday, June 2, 2012

House Moving? -- Day 147

Walk:  R/T Mindful Body, T. Joe's, JCC
Distance: 2 miles, teach class, 1/2 hour stationary bike

For some reason I have this feeling that Hugh Laurie/House could make the Bay Area home base.  Totally out of nowhere thought from a nowhere state of mind after teaching and puttering today.  His post House career is music and he has played several concerts around here in the past year.  Also he has said publically in England that he will likely live in the US/California when done with House.  L.A. is where he is used to, but I think he might resonate more with Northern California.  We'll see....

Friday, June 1, 2012

And the Cow Jumped Over the Moon.. -- Day 146

Walk: R/T SFJCC and Kabuki Theater (again!) (Moonrise Kingdom)
Distance:  4 Miles, yoga class and stationary bike

So, why is our blogger going to so many movies these days?  A. Because I can and I like them, but B. because I've been a bit felled by some allergy/sinusitis thing and don't have much rip-roaring energy - or even just normal energy.  Finally went the antibiotic, antihistamine route yesterday, and am already feeling better today.  Yea for Western medicine when you need it!

The whole allergy thing has prompted me to be more diligent in the future about specific aerobic exercise.  I think the hazard of teaching an athletic/physical activity is that you kind of lose track of your own personal training/fitness.  When I'm active teaching a class and walking, I feel as if I've done my exercise, and forget that working out on my own could be beneficial.  Anyway, look for me to be posting aerobic activities as well as walks - or to notice when I don't.

I should probably mention that during this allergy/sinus time I've also 'had' a heart condition, clinical depression, and probably leukemia.  A few blogs about overcoming hypochrondria are probably in my future.

Meanwhile, I think Moonrise Kingdom  is even more brilliant than I realize shortly after seeing it.  It comes from such a deeply poetic/artistic/probably musical place that it is possible that the writers and director don't know the whole of what they've said. 

Moonrise Kingdom