FeatherLight

New Year’s unresolution Number One

Amanda — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:12:45 +0000

At the end of 2009 a friend alerted me to a LivingSocial offer for a yoga studio not far from me. Most of the studios in Indianapolis are downtown or on the far north side, but this one was only 20 minutes away. It was also a very good deal – 20 classes for $20! We both signed up, and in February I attended my first class ever. And LOVED it. I’ve always wanted to try yoga, but thought it was for skinny-minnies (which I am not). Our yoga instructor is what you might call full-figured, even, but she is incredibly flexible and bendy. But more than anything, she’s just an amazing instructor. She emphasizes attention to what your body CAN do instead of what it can’t, and reiterates over and over (and over) again that yoga class is not the place to bring your ego. It doesn’t matter whether the person on the mat next to you can touch the floor with their nose in Upavistha Konasana – it’s all about that tiny, incremental bit of space you can create for yourself each time you practice. Really, it’s about the breath, and maintaining that breath throughout your practice. We use a sounding breath called Ujjayi Pranayama, or “Conqueror’s Breath”, and one of my favorite times of the week is the start of class when the room fills with that noise.

Anyway, I hate exercise. I joined a gym a few years ago, and I can count on two hands the number of times I went. With all the money I spent I could have bought my own treadmill to have at home, since that was the only machine I ever used anyway. I always intended to use the weight machines, but they were always either in use, or I just didn’t have time. Yoga, though, is something I enjoy, and it’s made me aware of my body in different ways than working out in a gym ever has. For one, it really made me aware of my pelvic floor! Not something we think of in the context of the everyday, but since we practice spending time on our “sit” bones, it has become obvious to me that my core muscles just aren’t strong enough to support me the way they’re supposed to when I’m sitting in proper alignment. Which is why I was so glad to find Katy Bowman’s blog!

I wasn’t familiar with Katy until I found her online, but I will be a fan forever. First, she doesn’t advocate exercise in the traditional sense… according to Katy, if you move the way our bodies were meant to – and move a lot, specifically walking several miles a day – and in proper alignment, your body will work the muscles efficiently enough to keep you toned. And obviously all that walking has cardiac benefits, too. I am ALL. ABOUT. THAT. I can walk. I love to walk. I don’t love to walk in 20 degree weather, but I can do it if I must. Starting now, that’s my plan. Walking, squatting, stretching, and doing yoga. That’s it. No more Jillian Michaels, no more Bob Harper… I want to be healthy and fit, but I don’t want to hate every minute of getting there. Tonight, I started with Katy’s squatting exercises, or more specifically, the squat prep exercises, which are just calf and hamstring stretches. Holy cow! I knew my hamstrings were tight, but had NO idea my calves were also. Hopefully after a few more nights of this I’ll be able to move on to the next prep move. But there is no rush. It’s all about the breath, right?

Here we go again – 2012 version

Amanda — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:00:19 +0000

I’m back! It’s been a while (since February, I think, or later?), and not much has changed, but I want to blog again. I went back through some of my older posts, and I really sort of miss it. Maybe I’ll have something important to talk about this year, or maybe I’ll still write about things that don’t really matter to anyone but me, but that’s okay.

I’m driving home today from visiting my brother’s family – the infamous Wia and Emma. We had so much fun this trip – I arrived a day earlier than I usually do so I could be here in time for Emma’s birthday. We ate at Sweet Potatoes and raced go-karts to celebrate her 5th (can you believe she’s FIVE?). We’ve also eaten at Vinnie’s, which is a Savannah institution, and then today tried the Crystal Beer Parlor, Savannah’s second oldest restaurant. We went to see Arthur Christmas, which was way better than I thought it would be, and yesterday we went ice skating at the Savannah Civic Center. This was probably the most fun I’ve had with the girls since they started school and pre-K – they’ve been on break all week, so we’ve played lots of Kinectimals and Once Upon a Monster on their new XBox 360, too. They’re growing up SO fast, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to make as many trips down each year going forward. It seems silly for me to come while they’re in school, so that rules out spring and fall (except for Wia’s birthday, which I will never miss if I can help it). For now, though, I’m happy to have spent the time with them this past week… it was crazy-busy, but spending time with my family is the best.

Reading: Jane Goes Batty

Amanda — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:30:18 +0000

I thought it might be kind of cool to review books here. I am a HUGE reader – always have been – and recently rediscovered Goodreads, where I have entered as much of my personal library as I can remember. It doesn’t count books I’ve read that I don’t own – I wish I could remember half the library books I’ve borrowed over the last 35 years. Every once in a while I’ll pick up a book to read only to find that hey, I’ve read this before…

Anyway, Goodreads does giveaways of books, sponsored by authors, publishing houses, and whoever else wants to share either a book they’ve read or a book that’s about to be released. I never win anything, but I put my name in for several books I thought sounded interesting, and I actually WON. Quel surprise. Part of the deal is that they’d really like it if maybe you’d kind of write a review, if you feel like it? So, I wrote a review. It’s not a very good review – the book deserves better – but I wasn’t sure how much to divulge. I need to read some of the reviews on Amazon.com and see if I can get some pointers…

Jane Goes Batty by Michael Thomas Ford

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received Jane Goes Batty through a goodreads “first reads” giveaway – I never win anything, so I was just excited about that to begin with. I read the first book in the series while I waited for this one to arrive, and fell in love with the characters and the storyline – I only hoped the second book would be at least as good as the first. I wasn’t disappointed.

The second book begins right where the first leaves off – Jane’s book is a hit and Our Gloomy Friend is apparently nowhere to be seen. Byron is teaching Jane the tricks of the vampire trade, so to speak, just in time for her boyfriend’s mother to come for a visit. Several new characters are introduced, along with some familiar faces, and the book moves along at just the right pace. There are lots of chuckles and a few groans, but it’s all in all a very entertaining book. I’m really looking forward to the third installment in the series…

View all my reviews

I am Sam

Amanda — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 02:32:07 +0000

Well, I am not actually Sam. Sam is in my refrigerator… 14 bottles of Sam, in fact.

Tonight was grocery night, and despite the fact that I really didn’t need to buy beer, I found a box of beer filled with Samuel Adams’ American Originals. (Side note: Wouldn’t it be weird to have them sell a box of Mexican Originals, or British Originals? German Originals?) A 12 pack of 6 different varieties, including the original Boston Ale, Irish Red, Scotch Ale, Noble Pils, White Ale, and Revolutionary Rye Ale. I have NO idea how long it will take me to get through the entire 12 pack, but I thought it was great that I didn’t have to buy a whole 6 pack of each just to try them.

In other news, I think my blog must be very well hidden. I was talking to a couple of guys at work today and mentioned having a blog, and one of them immediately started Googling for it. I stood in his office doorway for about 30 minutes waiting for him to find it… no luck. Of course I’m sure he’ll find it eventually. For now, I’m going to go back through my archives and make sure I didn’t say anything bad about him!

So tired

Amanda — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 02:15:02 +0000

I am pooped. I started out yesterday morning with a “relaxing” massage (fact: if anyone tells you a massage feels good, they are lying. It HURTS. But in a good way.), but then I decided to ruin all that relaxation with shopping. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be, three weeks before Christmas. I was at an outdoor mall, and I think the fact that it was cold and snowing kept some people away. From there I went to Meijer, then Target, then Lowe’s, then Bed Bath and Beyond, and finally Sears. I bought new cookie sheets, shower gel, face wash, razor blades, drain cleaner, air freshener, and a NEW VACUUM.

Side note: I’m so excited about this new vacuum. I looked everywhere, read all the reviews, and just was generally unimpressed with the options available locally. Sears was kind of my last resort – I know Kenmore vacuums aren’t exactly the cheapest, but they aren’t as pricey as Dyson, and I figured it couldn’t hurt to look. I ended up with this model, on sale. It has a telescoping wand, people! I looked up reviews while I was standing in the store, and the only beef anyone seems to have with it is the weight. It’s a little heavy, but I can live with it. And it does a fantastic job. It has this light that tells you if it senses dirt (red), or not (green), so you can tell if it’s picking up dirt or not. With a big, hairy, dirty dog, this is a must-have. The canister also empties out the bottom, which is super-cool and much easier. LURVE IT.

When I got home from shopping after being gone for 9 hours, I decided I was still motivated enough to at least get the indoor Christmas decorations up. It only took me a couple of hours, and it was all twinkly and pretty when I got done. I always miss the decorations when I take them down – the living room seems so empty!

I got up this morning and put up the outside lights. Again, it only took a couple of hours but it was freaking cold, and now I have windburn. Super-rosy cheeks. But it’s pretty! And very twinkly. I use random sparkle lighted garland all over the garage and front porch, and it’s basically an epileptic attack just waiting to happen. But again, it’s so pretty!

I also filled the bird feeders. I bought a new dual-seed feeder at Lowe’s, and the thing is so dang heavy the shepherd’s hook may not be able to handle it. It’s sort of bending/leaning a bit. I guess I can use that as a visual clue for when to refill it?

Tired. Sooooo tired.

Chappy Chanukah

Amanda — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 02:44:08 +0000

Believe it or not, I only really know one Jewish person, but being in need of a title I figured why not wish my one Jewish acquaintance a joyous holiday? Even if it isn’t the Jewish Christmas.

I totally blew NaBloPoMo this year, so to ~~punish myself~~ make up for it, I’m going to try to post once a day in December. It’s not like I have anything else to do, right? Oops… wrong. I have classwork. I have papers to write! It occurred to me today that one of the things I hated about college the first time around was writing papers – I guess it’s good that it’s been nine years, or I might have remembered that before paying tuition. Boo.

Have I mentioned before how much I love this time of year? Starting with the Thanksgiving holiday and going all the way through to my birthday… I just love everything about it. I love the time spent with family, the shopping for just the right gift, the baking, the decorating, and the food. AND THE MUSIC (see, Listening). I’m so ready to do my shopping, but I’m having a terribly hard time figuring out what to buy everyone. I know what to buy for one person on my gift list, and everyone else is just a mystery to me. It’s frustrating! I’m sure I’ll figure it out – just hope I do it before all the good stuff is gone.

And now, I leave you with the number 1 item on my wish list… I hope Santa reads the blog, because I’m not sure who else is going to stick it under the tree.

I desperately want a Kindle, and have for some time. I don’t think it would keep me from buying any hardcopy books, it would just give me a different way to enjoy one of my favorite hobbies.

NaBloPoMo 2019 ::Day 11::

Amanda — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 02:54:56 +0000

Nevermind that I skipped days 4 through 10… what can I say? I sign up for these things whether I’m really into it or not, and then I FAIL. I didn’t want a prize anyway. Boo.

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A few weeks ago I got this midday text message from my sister-in-law: “Do u have the twilight series books???”. Well, of course I do, plus the movies that have come out so far on Blu-ray. I texted her back, which started this whole texting flurry about what happens, and does Edward ever change Bella, and on and on and on. I am not one to spoil a surprise, but I answered a few of her questions. She couldn’t wait for me to bring the books to her (even though I was coming for a visit just a couple of weeks later), so she got 2-4 from the library, skipping 1 altogether (sacrilege!!). By the time I got there she had finished them. I wouldn’t say she neglected her children in order to read them, but my brother took some very incriminating footage…

Since then, I have been trying to figure out what to get her for her upcoming birthday. It must be Twilight-related, and I think the cheesier, the better. I figured I’d see what I could find on Etsy, just by searching “twilight”. Here’s what I found… 3 cheesy, 3 not-so-cheesy:

1. Vampire Bite Silver and Red Swarovski Crystal necklace from adrienneaudrey. This is more True Blood than Twilight, but SO kitschy either way.

2. Twilight in a Bottle Gathered under the Full Moon from AngiesIris. So, this looney goes out to First Beach under the freaking full moon and bottles sand?

3. Twilight Meadow Bouquet Necklace from LilMissSparkley. GAH.

4. Twilight Bella’s Mittens from KnittingCarnival. These are actually cute. I might even wear them. My sister-in-law won’t need them since she lives in GEORGIA.

5. Hello Moon 8×8 Fine Art Photograph from SherriConley. What a pretty moon!

6. Bloodrop bracelet from edor. I actually think this is kind of pretty; it’s something I might actually wear.

But then, I found this, and I think it’s clearly the winner. My sister-in-law’s birthday is just before Christmas, and this will look perfect on the tree…

PERFECT.

NaBloPoMo 2010 ::Day 3::

Amanda — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 03:30:17 +0000

How about those post titles, eh? Love the creativity…

My cat is snoring. Loudly enough, in fact, that I can hear him over the dog (also snoring) and the sound of FedEx planes taking off from the nearby airport (they’re pretty loud). I suppose I can consider this preparation in the event I ever meet a man and subsequently share a bed, right?

Tomorrow evening I promise to write something worthy of reading, rather than this meaningless stuff I’ve put out so far this month. There may even be pictures… we’ll see.

NaBloPoMo 2010 ::Day 2::

Amanda — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 03:05:31 +0000

Almost forgot to post today! We had a lot of chaos at work today, but in the midst of all of that, I found time to GO VOTE. It’s the most important thing I did all day, and it only took 5 minutes. If you voted too, good for you! If you didn’t, well, for shame. We’re lucky to have the freedom to participate in a democratic election, no matter the result. Happy Election Day!

NaBloPoMo 2010 ::Day 1::

Amanda — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 01:46:30 +0000

Have decided to participate in NaBloPoMo again this year… I’m hoping it gives me the kick in the rear I need to get back to blogging.

So, what to write about? It’s been an uneventful summer, for the most part. So uneventful, in fact, that I’ve decided to create my own little drama by going back to school. Yep, I will – once again – be a student. I’m not looking forward to the studying, but at least it’s just one class at a time, and it’s independent study (aka, online classes), so I get to live the introvert’s dream and avoid interacting with classmates. Yay! I also found that I don’t have to take quite as many classes as I thought I did. I had actually started this program once before (9 years ago), and apparently I got through most of my required electives and some of the core credits. Now ask me if I actually *remember* anything I learned in those classes… NOT ONE THING. Should be interesting.

So, stay tuned for the next month. I have a few crazy stories… one or two involving my nutso neighbors! I know you can hardly wait.