I finished the challenge!

I think I'm quite frankly still in shock that I managed to finish the 40 classes in 40 days yoga challenge at Rama Lotus. For much of the challenge, I was climbing back from behind, having had to miss 4 days in a row due to a cold. But somehow, the stars managed to align and I managed to stay consistent with regular daily plus on many days twice daily classes. I want to thank again those who inspired me and helped me through this practice. In particular, "I", thanks for cheering me on to sign up in the first place. "K" thanks for coming to the most classes with me during the challenge. "DL" thanks for trying yoga for the first time - that was inspirational. "DT" thanks for Ashtanga, and maybe more to come. And, to my hubbie, who despite his incredibly insane schedule came to two classes with me, including waking up early last Saturday to go to "Bikram" yoga in the 40 degree celsius hotroom. Now that's love :)! And, thanks to all those who supported me in spirit through this aptly named challenge.

Winner of the draw has yet to be announced so there's still a chance I may win the 50 class package, fingers crossed.

Survivor continues as awesomely as it has for the past several weeks, and thanks to finishing the challenge one day early, I was for the first time in weeks able to watch the show on tv at regular airing instead of waiting three days for it be on Rogers on Demand.

What else? I now go back to life as it was before the challenge. What changes will that entail? Oh, probably simple things, like keeping the house a little neater, cooking more, and turning my mind to Christmas.

Woo hoo. I finished 30 classes in 30 days!

Unbelievable, I actually made it to 30 classes in 30 days. 10 more to go, breath in, ahhhhhh.

Hopefully, I can make it. Again, great appreciation for all the support from folks.

I think I might have sort of forgot that taking yoga teacher training meant going back to.... school! I have an exam this week, and it sure does feel weird to have to memorize stuff. Like sanskrit - a foreign language. But, it hasn't taken me long to revert back into student mode and procrastinate away instead of studying. I saw one my fellow students in class today studying with cue cards she had created. I don't subscribe to the cue card method myself (mainly because you lose time writing them out), but it made me feel behind .... :(

Taking a trip down memory lane this weekend, I took an excursion to Canadian Tire, which involved walking over the Queensway, to buy Cabbage Patch dolls. For real.

Namaste.

Yet Another Yoga Challenge Update

So, it's Day 25 of the Rama Lotus 40 Day Yoga Challenge, and I have completed 22 classes. Not bad. I have 18 classes to go in 15 days. It's gonna be busy, but it feels doable. I've been kinda plodding through the past three days, because my left shoulder is quite sore from the H1N1 vaccine I received on Monday. Hopefully, the shoulder will kind of fall in line (as it were) sooner than later.

So, Survivor is just awesome, as usual. I started out this season feeling kind of blah, and hating Russell, oh how the underdog spin can change your feelings about a player.

Starting on November 6th we were called upon in class to practice the yoga of ahimsa (a simplification), which translates as 'non-violence' to living things, including yourself. We were tasked with taking on a realistic adventure, so, I chose to create a habit of daily flossing. It's only taken me 31 years to do this regularly, not bad (she says sheepishly). Anyway, I completed the two weeks straight of the flossing, and it's stuck. Success! Living the principle of ahimsa inspired me tremendously during this time period to find other ways to incorporate this in my life.

This next two week period, I'm practising "satya", which means truth. So, I'm now going to be brutally honest all the time. NOOOOO!!!! You still have to be compassionate, to be a good little yogi. :)I've taken on a manageable challenge, and will report back on the results in a later blog.

Thanks "K" for Hatha Beginner on Monday. As always, wanna join me for a yoga class at Rama, let me know, it totally helps the motivation.

Om, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

Update: Back to Work and Yoga Challenge

Back to life, back to re-a-li-ty.... I had a bit of uneasy transition back to work after my glorious holidays, but a week strong this morning, things should be looking up. I am not going to lie, would I rather still be on vacation? Always, but I'm still waiting on that lottery win!

So, I'm still keeping up with my 40 Day Yoga Challenge. Which has been - um, challenging? I started on November 3rd after the return from our trip to Boston, and as of last night have completed 15 classes. So that's 15 classes in 16 days I think. Which is not too bad considering I missed four whole days for a cold. Double yoga days are getting to be a bit grueling, and that on top of Yoga Teacher Training every other weekend.... this weekend being one of them. What did I sign myself up for? Anyway, I'm always looking for volunteers to come to class with me, to keep the motivation strong, so if you're keen, just give me a shout. Thanks "D" for last night's Ashtanga.

So, for all you Survivor fans out there, the last two weeks of the show have been pretty great, right? That Russell: I think I'm going to dub him the energizer bunny. Last week was definitely the highlight of the season, and I wait with guarded anticipation for this evening's show where poor evil Laura freaks on Russell for sending home her friend Kelly instead of making a move that would have sacrificed his game. I don't like Laura very much.

Oh, yeah: I had a great time at the Gala. And, JJ said hi to me and asked me how I was. I am so star stuck :)!

Namaste.

Boston trip photos!

Dunkin Donuts "Double-Double"s: had to try it out and compare. And bonus, we had Patriots (Insurgents) 50th anniversary cups ;).



















Boston Common














Penguins at the Aquarium.


















Seems like I have the cough of doom, again.

A Shout Out for the Crayons & Cravats 12th Annual Gala in Ottawa

My hubbie recently joined the board of directors for the Canadian Institute of Child Health.

This year, the Canadian Institute of Child Health (CICH) and the Champions For Children Foundation (CFCF) have combined forces to host the 12th Annual Crayons & Cravats Gala.

It will be held on November 17th, and benefits go to these two charities.

Please visit this website for more details: http://cfcf.akaraisin.com/e/CC09.aspx

Tickets include gourmet meal, entertainment, awards ceremony, and silent auction.

Oh yeah, and if that weren't cool enough, and I mean this in all sincerity, they're honouring JJ Clarke! I love that guy.

Favourite Products: For the bath

Ok, so this post isn't very original, especially following up on the last one, but I have stuff I'm excited about and want to share:

1. Gillette Mach 3 razors: A magazine suggested these were the best, even for women. I concur. Try it!

2. Epsom salts: saved my life in more than one painful moment.

3. Crabtree and Evelyn Botanicals Milk, Soy and Sugar Body Wash: smells so wholesome, and is foamy.

4. Aveda Colour Conserve Shampoo and Conditioner: while it is a splurge, tests have shown it makes your hair colour last longer, thus reducing the frequency of touch ups.

5. Sabon body scrub: The most moisturizing body scrub I've ever encountered. http://sabonnyc.com/

Hope this is helpful.

Favourite Products: Things in my purse that go everywhere

1. Tide to Go: Can enough good things be said about Tide to Go? It works. I don't know how many pieces of clothing I've been able to save since this product came into life, but it truly has changed my world.

2. Bath and Body Works Antibacterial Hand Santizer Foam in Sweet Pea: It comes in many other scents, and refreshes your hands without that alcohol or aloe smell you get from competitor products.

3. Tesco Original Lip Balm: I stock up when in the UK, last time I got twenty or so tubes, and we're coming toward the end, which clearly means a new trip is in order. No other reason to go to the UK ;)! It tastes good, it works well, it doesn't dehydrate.

4. Renu 60 ml size contact lens Multiplus: Because I never know when my contacts might get grouchy.

5. Staples Optiflow Needlepoint pens: They are the right width for resting comfortably between my thumb and finger and they write well, plus the cap stays on so they can't be accidentally click open and stain the inside of the purse.

Ok, so how did I get roped into this?

Somehow, I've found myself in a do 100 pushups and 200 situps in 7 weeks or something? I think the situps will be totally fine. But, the pushups? I'm already starting from a modified position, as I am very girly in the upper body strengthness.

This, on top of my crazy yoga schedule. Hmmmm.... We'll see how it goes, but I think they may be complimentary, as there is a lot of ab work and upper body strength for yoga.

Incidentally, I am super stoked about Boston this weekend, when I get to see "J", "D" and "A".

Namaste.

Now is the Time for Yoga

"Now is the time for you": that was one of my first learnings on Friday night. As they quite rightly pointed out, 40 of us didn't accidentally sign up for 200+ hours of yoga teacher training (note I am foreshadowing here for my story below :)) .

A very funny thing happened in class yesterday: a story I wanted to share. So, we started the class with a 20 minute sequence, and then moved into a lesson about the 8 limbs of yoga. Particularly the yamas and niyamas. A girl in the class put up her hand because she didn't have the books and the binder of materials. The teacher, wanting the class to keeping moving at a good pace, asked her to look on with a neighbour and go talk to the coordinator at the break. The girl went to stand up and talk to the coordinator, but the teacher insisted she sit back down and look on with a neighbour. I didn't really think much of this at the time.

After the lunch break, the teacher notified us that the girl who was concerned about not having the materials had actually gone into the wrong room, and thought she was participating in a beginner hatha yoga class....

I don't know how to precisely explain it, but this is one of those amusing human situations that I can never get enough of. You know, looking back, it seems obvious that this girl knew something was wrong and needed to leave, but the teacher wanted the class to flow and maybe she didn't know that yoga class normally doesn't involve textbooks and binders of materials, and discussions of abstentions/restraints (yamas) and observances (niyamas).

Unless something spectacularly interesting happens today, this will go down as my favourite part of the first weekend of teacher training!

My cups of tea

So, I love my tea. It's no secret. I wonder if it's some old british genes, or what. I don't really like the taste of coffee, needs a lot of cream/sugar to be bearable. But, tea: just some milk is all it really takes.

Lately, I've been really into chai tea.

Here in no particular order are my favourite chais:

1. Fairmont - I buy it loose leaf, and brew it at home. Also great with their Afternoon tea. Even though it's Fairmont, it's really well-priced.

2. Bridgehead - It's a local mini-chain, but I don't believe it exists outside of Ottawa. So those out of towners need to come visit so they can enjoy it with me.

3. Starbucks - chai tea misto. Misto, essentially for those who don't know, just means a lot of steamed milk on top. I prefer it Grande and with two bags. The standard tea misto grande comes with two bags, but some baristas don't know, so don't let them get away with charging you for an extra bag, and you really need to specify or they'll give you just one bag. One bag grande is far too weak for my palette.

4. Chai tea at local Indian restaurants, so creamy and delicious.

A non-chai favourite of late:

A. Tim Horton's steeped tea, with one milk. So nice not to have to deal with the bag(s) afterward, as it comes pre-steeped.

Ok, now I'm just making myself crave a cup, right now.

Scared

Do one thing every day that scares you? Isn't that what Eleanor Roosevelt said, and is written on fridge magnets, stationery, Lululemon bags, etc. etc.

Well, taking this yoga teacher training course is like one big thing that scares me and probably will scare me every day for the next 6 mos. I start on Friday night, and am starting to get nervous. But, I do think that it will help me grow as a person, as a yoga practitioner, etc. AHHHH!!!!

I have been practicising yoga every day in preparation, and am psyching myself up to take on the 40 classes at Rama Lotus in 40 days challenge that Rama is offering from November 1 - December 10. So, do you think I should go for it? Or, is it a bit too insane on the side of work and life?

Ah Youthful looks!

Why do I look so young to so many people? This is a question I continually ask myself. I know that it is preferable to look younger than you are in a general way. So, I'm not complaining, really I'm not. But, in the workplace, I would have to say that I would be much better off looking my age or older.

When I first started in the government, and I was 28 at the time, I went to a meeting, where people were discussing their kids. This lady there turned to me, and said: "Oh Natalie, of course, you're too young to have kids." How old did she think I was? I couldn't believe this comment, just seems really dangerous to be wrong about. But, I left kind of really stunned by the whole experience, as at 28 I really didn't feel that I was too young to have children. Ah well.

A couple months ago, I got carded to buy a lottery ticket. Really? The guy thought I was 17? Huh? I'm 31!

I've tried to make myself look more mature, but this is one nut I can't seem to crack. Maybe glasses, but the doctor says I'm supposed to wear contacts. Hey, maybe I should take up tanning and smoking! lol.

I think because of this, it will be a real shock when people look at me like I'm a full-fledged adult, and not a kid. Probably not looking forward to that. ;)

Oh yeah, I finished the shawl at knitting class, and a new hat for good measure.

Shout out to Melanie from SYTYCD Canada, so sad you got eliminated on Tuesday. :(

Sniffle symphonies

ok. It's time for another pet peeve, people who refuse to blow their noses. It's something I just don't understand. I was in Bikram class again today, and a guy three mats over, was sniffling, I'd say, at a rate of once per 10 seconds. It took him about 45 minutes of this, before he decided to blow his nose. But, why? I hate sniffling, hate it! I don't understand how someone can tolerate sniffling for an extended period of time. Seems weird to me.

The buses in Ottawa tend to be musically accompanied through the winter with what I lovingly refer to as - sniffle symphonies. Not only does the high pitch of the noise grate on me, but it just makes you feel claustrophobic and contained in a small space with a tonne of illness... Or, maybe it's just me. I have to say walking to work for most of the winter due to bus strike was actually a welcome relief from this phenomena. :)

Tonight, I will be baking for hubbie's deathbowl tournament this weekend. What, you may ask is a deathbowl. My easy answer would be that you really don't want to know.

But, if you do, see here: http://rubli.ca/deathbowl/

Namaste.

Dancing, yeah!

I finally coaxed hubbie out for an 80s night at Barrymores on Sunday. It felt so cool to get out dancing again. I mean, honestly, not many guys like to dance in public, but mine does. He really, really does, more than me, in fact. And, I just don't take enough advantage of that reality. It's awesome. I feel very fortunate in this regard, even if sometimes he makes a little bit of a spectacle!

I did Bikram for the first time today in a long time, and I feel like all of my varietizing, thanks to "K" of other styles of Hatha, and Yin, has really made me more flexible already. I thought I was in for major suffering at Bikram, but it was one of my best classes ever. So, I highly recommend mixing up the types of yoga for a better Bikram. Or, maybe it was the dancing on Sunday night, who knows?

I've been a bit knitting lazy lately, but am really, really looking forward to SYTYCD Canada tonight. And, continuing on my quest to figure out what I should be when I grow up, c/o the What Colour is your Parachute guidebook.

Happy Anniversary A & D :)!

For the Love of TV

So, this may seem like another rant, but hey ho!

I LOVE TV! And, I'm damn proud to say it. It really kind of irks me how snobby some people can get about tv, and how morally superior they seem to feel about their non-participation in tv enjoyment. I briefly dated one of those people, and the door quickly closed on that romance.

TV rocks. When I went to law school, I had my cable set up before my phone, and that was the order of priority! :) lol

What TV can I not live without (well none, if I'm being really serious about it), but I hate to miss:
- Lost
- Gossip Girl
- So You Think You Can Dance (Canada and US)
- Law and Order: SVU
- Ugly Betty (although I only watch this one on DVD)
- New Degrassi
- Anna and Kristina's Grocery Bag

Past all-time faves:
- Sex and The City
- L Word
- Veronica Mars (Thanks, Jess for this one)
- Three's Company
- Who's the Boss?
- Seinfeld
- 24 - seasons 1-5
- Felicity
- Beverly Hills 90210 (The high school seasons)
- Degrassi

Ooh. I hate making lists cos I'm sure I'm leaving out some great ones, but at least this is a flavour.

Happy thanksgiving.

Holy Crap - I finished the shawl, well, almost

I need to learn next Saturday how to make i cords, which I misread in the pattern as l cords. Yeah, my teacher thought I was pretty silly when I kept saying I need to learn how to do l cords.

Anyhow. The glory of finishing the body of the shawl is flowing through me.

Now, I must go yogaize for the second time today.

Product Review - Maybe better than a real pet

So, I bought us a Glade Scent and Spray a month or so ago. And, I must say, it is infinitely better than other Glade products I have used in the past. I love how it locks itself out for half an hour after it has sprayed. The motion sensor is also really fun, you walk by and a few seconds later it goes off. It's probably that feature that has caused hubbie and I to give our Scent and Spray a name. We've anthropomorphized our air freshener!

Thanks Poppy, you're like the long lost pet we never had.

PS. I added photos to the Hair post as per Jessica's astute observations.

Catch me on Voiceprint sometime, and more

Last year, I started volunteering for an organization called Voiceprint - Canada's Broadcast Reading Service. Details here: http://www.voiceprintcanada.com/

I normally read about twice per month, but this week I have three readings scheduled, because I'M ON VACATION. It's pretty fun, mostly reading news articles from S. Ontario. V. weird to hear my own "show" the first time, but now I'm used to it. I sometimes wonder who might be listening to me reading the news, but it kinda makes me shy, so I try not to focus on it too too much.

For half of this weekend, I will be sitting for la princess Chloe, who is my sister's beloved cat. She's actually pretty decent, so I don't really mind, just more of a hassle going back and forth for the thrice daily doses of food and affection.

Oh, and in SYTYCD Canada reviews: Always love to see Lil C - that guy cracks me up so hard, so lyrical in the way he speaks. By far, my favourite dance of the night was: none. To be honest, last night was a bit of an overall dud for me. Melanie is really my big favourite to win the whole thing *so am very scared she'll get the axe unfairly, like Jeanette on the US version last season. Oh Jeanette!, that was one of the great reality dance show tragedies, although nothing compares to the DWTS Sabrina Bryan debacle.

Ok. Must go watch some more Ugly Betty on DVD and ellipticize.

As Mia Michaels has taken to saying, "it's been gorge (as in, ous)". I'm clearly not cool enough to say that other than in quotation marks though.

Starbucks free music

One of my favourite things these days is my weekly free mp3s from Starbucks. Now, I don't always love the song, but often it's at least bearable, and sometimes, totally lovable. Maybe it's because I'm musically challenged, and feel myself gradually losing the only tenuous grasp I used to have on new music, that I enjoy this new and regular guilt-free source of free tunes.

Today: apply to 17 government competitions for hubbie. Oof.

Hair!

So, I will always remember 2009 as the year I discovered my hair has some natural curl to it. My whole life I have identified as having very straight hair. Then, in June, I tried scrunching it and letting it air dry - woah! I wouldn't say my hair is curly. But it's definitely wavy, but still blowdries straight. Feels kinda like magic hair, and I'll ride this "wave" as long as it lasts. Women's hair textures can change over time, and it's definitely been a fun revelation. Especially, since I'm fairly low maintenance, and scrunching and airdrying takes 2 minutes, vs. the 20 minutes I would normally spend under the dryer.

Scarf for friend - done; shawl - inch 54 and counting.

Time for lunch. :)

Elevator Etiquette

Ok. So, I kinda failed at first day of yoga marathon yesterday, but my hubbie and I had to celebrate my vacation, which kind sort of involved some bubble tea, Lone Star, and wandering around the market. No regrets, as I know I'm gonna get my butt kicked at Rama tonight at Hatha with "K".

On to one of my biggest pet peeves of the last few years: And I must say it's definitely in a suite of pet peeves under the general theme of "human impatience". Now, it's kind of fitting that I'm annoyed by impatience, since I am a very impatient person, myself. But, this is a behaviour that I only ever do accidentally or in the gravest of emergencies: It drives me bananas when people stop an elevator that is ready to go up, by either pressing the button so the door that is but a sliver from closed reopens for their entry, or stick their arms between the nearly closed doors in order that the motion causes the doors to reopen. Now, I could almost see this being acceptable in a situation where the building you're in has one very slow elevator. However, in the office towers where I work, the elevators are numerous, quick, and frequent. I feel this huge weight lifting off me just writing my annoyance down here. There are so many people that do this, that I can only ask these questions: when did this become acceptable? Why can't people wait for the next elevator? Why are we all in such a hurry, all the time?

In knitting news, I've put the shawl to the side for the last day or so, to complete a special project for a very good friend who's birthday has just passed and who I will see very soon.

Time to cook some tofu/cauliflower baked korma.

Vacation

It's the official start of my vacation. I am stoked.

So, what else, eh?

I cannot believe that Russell guy on Survivor: Samoa. WTF? Kinda reminscent of Rob/Amber run on All-Stars. He's effective, at least, so far.

Inch 44 of the shawl, but who's counting?

Tomorrow marks day 1 of yoga marathon in anticipation of first day of Yoga Teacher Training, 3 weeks from 10 minutes from now. Scared...

First Post

I just created this blog, and am late in my rush to go to work, so I am just going to quickly inaugurate this blog for now, and say something remarkable about yesterday in the process. I made it to inch number 38 in the shawl that will never end. It's now halfway done, and I can' t wait to say it's done. Big knitting projects are not all they're cracked up to be.

Was pretty sad to see Austin go on SYTYCD Canada, thought he deserved to stay over Cody and probably most of the other guys too...