Still nerdy after all these years

So, a couple of weeks ago I picked up two yoga DVDs to try and get myself somewhat limber and back in shape for more demanding activities such as bellydance and strength training. One I picked up was Vinyasa Yoga, based on "water" positions that flow and undulate. The description intrigued me as water is my favorite "element" of the four(Western)/five(Eastern) ancient elements.

When I got into the actual yoga exercise, they were all flowing and relaxed, meant to counteract the tendency to stiffly hold each particular asana (pose), which is what I tend to do, especially now that I'm out of practice and stiff. One of the more basic sections, which I started with, also includes a "free movement" section about 2/3 through, which was such fun! The DVD has about 15 different sections, which you can mix up as you wish thanks to modern DVD technology. I especially like the sections as I'm so out of practice that one or two (less than 10 min each) is about all I can manage so far. That being said, I've only done parts of two of them, but it's fun enough that I plan to do more. Yes, tomorrow.

In other news, I took Ivan in for his annual checkup. He is fine and healthy, except for one tooth with a fair amount of gingivitis but since he stopped breathing during his summer tooth-cleaning (he was under anesthesia), he'll just live with it. Right now he's curled up on the computer chair, processing the distemper vaccine in his system and/or simply chilling. Took him a solid 10 minutes to forgive me for the cat carrier containment and vet visit, after which he crept up next to me for petting and cuddling. He got yummy dried salmon treats (Christmas gift from my baby brother and his wife, plus his German Shepherd "cousins") as recompense for his suffering. Wish someone would give me chocolates after my annual gynecology exam...

Work this week... Got profuse thanks from a man trying to design a pamphlet for an event--I helped him print two pages per sheet, and expand the photo for one section. And a middle-school geek girl cheerily showed me she'd finally gotten the copy of "Drama" (an excellent graphic novel for her age group) I'd put on hold for her. I hope she likes "Foiled!" too.

We now are the proud owners of a full-size movable dishwasher! Husband is ecstatic and washed all our dishes in it so they get sterilized in proper water (and so he can play with his new toy). He also bought a floor lamp to replace the one with the main lamp whose switch broke, and a new UV-light-sterliizing water fountain/bowl for Lord Ivan. All good useful things to make our lives more pleasant and heck, they're on his card, not mine.

I slept till 3:30 pm today. My guess is it was a combination of the mojito I made (rather badly) last night, a super-busy week at work, a systemic yeast infection from the antibiotics I took 2 weeks ago against whatever I might have gotten from 2 tick bites. and a mild sinus infection/allergy. Once I became fully conscious I was fine for checking my various Internet communications, doing a load of laundry, and cleaning the silverware holder and drawer (since husband washed all the silverware (literally, good 18/8 Oneida brand stainless steel stuff from our wedding registry).

I learned about something combining two of my passions, art and the monastic life/mystical spirituality through a review by Brent Bill (author of books on spirituality of the five senses and similar topics, and cofounder of the Association of Bad Quakers), Abbey of the Arts Those of you who are similar of mind and spirit will enjoy browsing.

Ivan is snoozing on a pile of pillows and flannel sheet (husband and I trade off bouts of insomnia so one of us is attempting sleep on the sofa regularly), highly content. He accepts the squees of "Kitty!" for the post of pictures of him as his due. He also views the instructions for his new water fountain as wonderful new play/nibble toys from Daddy/male cat-servant.

I'm planning on passing on the URL for my DW blog to my mom and some other relatives. Which is why unfilterd posts are mom-safe (which says a lot; my mom is a 1950s-raised small-town good Catholic girl after all these years)

I'm debating between celebrating my birthday this fall at Philcon, where exquisite graphic-novel illustrator Charles Vess is guest of honor and SJ Tucker will be performing with the filk guests of honor, or by staying with my parents, hking the lovely local mountains, dining at the Culinary Institute of America and other good places, maybe reconnecting with some old classmates and going to Woodstock for my first time since the 1980s. I love cons, but it's been too long since I laced up a good pair of sneakers and experienced the beauties of places like Minnewaska State Park. I grew up in an area that's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. And amazingly, by time I was in high school I appreciated that. One of my high-school friends is now a professional painter; one of our classmates asked her on Facebook "where is that beautiful place you painted?" and she replied, "The mid-Hudson Valley, where we grew up!"

I'm not up to typing about the library conference yet, so here are a few things about the vacation portion of last week, and this week's things...

On vacation, husband and I "lived the life of cats," as I remarked to him. We lazed around, napped a lot, did what we wanted, and had other beings prepare and serve us ( delicious food )

The sea was, well, the Atlantic Ocean. We could hear it faintly even with the windows closed. So lovely to read or nap to.

Tuesday we had a couples' massage, with quiet water sounds, unscented lotion, and wonderfully loosening deep-tissue massage.

A picture or two might be forthcoming.

This week's randomness:

We started watching "The Bletchley Circle" on TV, a British program about former women codebreakers bored with their post-WWII lives who take on investigating serial murders of young women.

While eating a snack prior to going to work on a "late" work day (11:30-8), I heard a loud clink of heavy glass. So I crept slowly, silently into the kitchen and, yes, Ivan had gotten into one of the lower cabinets and hidden toward the back (the clink was the lid of our crockpot). Sneaky dude, I suspected he could get those doors open with a dextrous curved paw and sure enough, he can.

Neil Gaiman on a college graduation speech he gave, and life in general, because, well, Neil Gaiman!

Anyone know if there's a way to quickly get to the top or bottom of a document on iPad? Or do I have to just keep "flicking" on the screen forever?

Lord Vorcatril succeeded in getting himself behind the washing machine in the washer/dryer closet and couldn't get back out. It took me ten minutes of calling to him, trying to lure him to the most feasible place to help him out with his Feline Flyer, moving the washer and dryer in the limited amount of space he had, hearing him cry piteously, watching his attempts to leap up and grab onto the very slick washing machine, and clearing out the brooms and ironing board, before we finally negotiated a place for us to meet and me to lift him out. ::heavy sigh of relief::

From now on, we are going to block the folding door to the closet every minute of every day unless one of us is actively washing or drying clothes. Because I don't trust the trauma to stick in Ivan's little kitty-cat brain.


Now, on to finishing Christmas packages to mail out so they can get to family members before Christmas...