AliThinks

Foodstuffs

Michael Ruhlman has written a great blog post about real food. Go read it. Here's one of the more significant paragraphs:

The sad fact is that fresh food that is good for you is significantly more expensive than the processed crap that truly is bad for our diet, not to mention our food production system.  And the people who most need food to be healthy are the ones who can least afford it.  The millions of Americans on a restricted food budget will see little choice other than to buy the cheap calories provided by agribusiness corn.

Amen.

Snow Day

School's canceled here today. For this Pennsylvania girl, it seems pretty redonkulous to close the schools for an inch or two of snow, but that's the way it is here. I guess the country roads outside Lexington can get pretty treacherous. Better safe than sorry.

The snow is lovely in the sunlight, sunlight we haven't seen in about a week. In a few minutes I'll pull on my yoga clothes and head to my thirteenth class.

This morning I'm wishing more than usual that the kids lived here. Snow is a real treat for them, and I know they'd be outside already. Okay maybe not already, as it's not even 9:00. But I know they'd be out playing in the snow at some point. I know they'd come in to warm up. I know I'd bark "Get in or get out!" — yet I'd be smiling on the inside. I'd make real hot chocolate.

I can see their red cheeks and smell the cold in their hair. And when they asked me to go outside with them, I'd do it.

Holy Crap

Day 12 and I feel GREAT. As in, Tony the Tiger great (but I had crustless quiche for breakfast, not Frosted Flakes™®).

This morning we did something a little different; we listened to a recording of Bikram himself teaching the class, and our teacher did the poses with us.

Bikram has a calming voice, and he emits a few little gems during class, like "Ninety minutes of suffering, or ninety years of suffering?" and "Yoga helps you find yourself."

Perhaps it's true. I kind of feel like I've reached the summit and it'll be all down hill from here. I might be wrong about that. But damn, I feel good.

Firteen

I'm too tired to put my tongue between my teeth for the proper θ sound.

/linguistics geek

I've done firteen 90-minute bikram yoga classes in firteen days. What does that make me?
Brave? Crazy? Willful? Motivated? All of these?

While I haven't taken any photos, and I know I haven't lost but two pounds, I'm looking a bit more buff these days. That? Is cool. Of course, "buff" is completely relative here.

Of course, I have noticed a definite sort of mental confusion. I'm slightly airheaded and forgetful. I can't even count anymore.

See, I wrote this entire blog entry thinking I'd done 13 straight days of bikram yoga.

Actually, I've done eleven. ELEVEN. Onze. Once. Elf. Undici. ɪilɛvɛn.

*smacks forehead*

I Told You!

In my last post I promised that this wouldn't turn into a yoga blog. And it hasn't. Here's something cool I want to share with you.

One of my photos was used on National Geographic Traveler's Intelligent Travel blog today!

This week the blog is featuring Paris, and here's a link to the entry that uses my photo.

*blows on fingernails*
*shines nails on shirt*

I Promise

...that this blog won't turn into All Bikram Yoga, All The Time, but I just had to relate what happened during class today (all asana done! No lying down in savasana!):

Instructor: And today is Alison's eighth day!

Alison: Feels like 1600.

(chuckles from around the room)

Instructor: You should get a blog and write about this.

Alison: I have a blog, and I have been writing about this.

Instructor: (laughing) Uh-oh! I'm not sure I want to read it!

Before I left the studio, I asked Teach to pick out a Moo card, and told her my blog URL was on the back. She said "Oh, great! I'd like to read it." (Hiya, S!)

I will admit to not wanting to leave home this morning. The weather is morose (can I  personify it like that?) and did you know that it's February still? It's get-under-the-duvet weather. This shortest month is feeling especially long. I can't remember the last time the sun shone.

It's a good thing I forced myself to go to yoga, though. I'm feeling better. And I've got a hot shower to look forward to.

And On The Seventh Day...

...she thought it was the eighth.

Seriously, I've been thinking it's Friday ALL. DAY.

This morning's class was really difficult, because I'm simply exhausted. I've got the double whammy of physical and emotional fatigue. There are probably some hormones in there too, just for kicks. My trikonasana was a bust today (I had to lie down), but I managed to do all the other poses, despite everything. And I do really enjoy pushing my body. It's just that today's been hellacious.

So it's 4:30 in the afternoon, and I feel like I could sleep until the morning.

Day Five

So today in yoga I was able to go further than ever in some of the asana. Logical, right? But I was really proud of myself. Progress in just five days!

This afternoon I had so much energy it was amazing. I'm easing out of that now, since it's evening and I've been up since 6:30. I'm also kind of distracted by American Idol.

Yes. I am watching it. Don't you judge me!

Anyway, Wikipedia has some info on bikram yoga. The guy who "invented" it is not without controversy. Within the article, though, is a list of the 26 asana we do, and some of them have links so you can see how they're done. The killer ones for me are #6, 18, 19, 22, and 23, if you want to know.

And now, since I obviously can't blog coherently while watching AI, I'll end with this:

I am really enjoying this yoga challenge.

Luci Peeks

A Cat Looks Out The Window 2, originally uploaded by Alison.

I FINALLY caught Luci doing this "on film." It cracks me up. And yes, I put the blind up for her.

So Far, So Good

I'm not dead yet. I am pretty sore, though. Today's the threshold: third class is the hurdle to get over.

In other news, I have wonderful friends!

T minus 60

In about an hour I'm going to a bikram yoga class. Some of you may remember that I've done this before. Some of you may also remember that it kicked my ass.

So why am I doing it again? Here are my reasons, in no particular order:

• Because I'm a cheapskate. The yoga studio is holding a challenge: complete 29 classes in 30 days. If you succeed, the studio refunds your $60. That's a great deal, either way.
  
• Because I'm out of shape and need to do something about it.
• Because I'm hurtling toward 40, and you know, my health and all that.
• Because 90 minutes of bikram yoga burns a shitload of calories.
• Because I want to feel like a MILF again.

I'm both terrified and excited. Terrified because I remember feeling like an exhausted noodle after doing this before. Excited because I'm eager to see what kind of changes happen in my body and mind.

So, I'll keep you posted. That is, if the yoga doesn't kill me.

POST-YOGA UPDATE: Well! That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I only sat out of the second set of two poses, which is better than I did two months ago. I do rather feel like I got hit by a truck. This will all pass after the third class, supposedly.

Oh, and I took photos this morning. There will be a Before and After.

What Better Way To Spend Valentine's Day

...than with the man I love?

New Year, New Banner

I said I was going to do it. I asked for suggestions. My friend Le Mille Pattes back in France pulled a Horshack* and his enthusiasm was such that I asked him to make me a new banner.

And that was that. I didn't give him any ideas. He didn't ask.

One month later...

Mr. Millipede is on vacation right now, and over the weekend he and I volleyed e-mails about the banner. This is the final design. I think it's great, as in I totally *heart* it. What do you think? (If you can't see it, do a hard refresh or clear your cache.)

*Mille Pattes: Arnold Horshack est un personnage (connu pour son enthousiasme devant son prof) d'une série télé des années 70. Je ne sais pas si elle a été diffusée en France.

Family Historian

Family Historian, originally uploaded by Alison.

At Christmastime my father gave me boxes and boxes of slides, most of them already in obscure wheels (GAF rototray, anyone?), some of them in boxes like this.

He gave me a scanner, too, because he wants me to digitize 30 years of our family's life.

I haven't started yet. "Daunting task" is an understatement.

Out Of Hibernation

This past week I've been out walking twice. I meant to go three times, but that didn't happen. I'm feeling less the need to stay cozy inside. I'm ready for fresh air. Exercise.

So it's a good thing, this walking. Who knew?

Now I'm laughing. Of course I knew. I used to do it a lot! Time to make it a habit again.

Super Fat Tuesday

Super Fat Tuesday, originally uploaded by Alison.

At DL we played a game where you won beads every time you predicted which presidential candidate took which state. I won two necklaces before the beads ran out (we had a huge turnout).

Liveblogging The Super Tuesday Returns

I'm here at our local meeting of Drinking Liberally, where fifteen of us (so far) have gathered to watch the returns and have some food and drink.

Before I start blogging about this (which will be sporadic, since my view of the TV screen is obscured by a large plant, and I also plan to talk to people instead of just typing on my keyboard), let me state a few opinions about our political process:

• The electoral college really needs to go.
• All fifty states should hold the primary on the same day, so that all the candidates get a fair shot.
• It'd be great if the other political parties in the country stood a chance.

Okay, so that's not very elaborate, but there's a lot of noise and conversation here.

Just after we arrived here, CNN announced that Obama had taken Georgia.

7:41 pm: Don't know how much I'll be able to do. The connection is pretty spotty, since Lexington for Obama is also at this restaurant. The wireless network is taking a serious hit.

8:51 pm: So I ate a delicious burger with teriyaki sauce and swiss cheese. Yum. The returns so far have not been a surprise.

9:04 pm: Obama takes Delaware. I totally nailed that one.

9:10 pm: Gah! Nowhere to plug in the laptop!

9:40 pm: We are home now; the DL event was fun and loud and there were a ton of people. With the wi-fi going in and out I wasn't able to comment as things were happening. Ah well. Other people are better-suited for political commentary anyway.

10:25 pm: Huckabee is really doing this well? I fear for our country and its constitution. I mean, I didn't expect him to get any delegates.

11:22 pm: Gritting my teeth about the California returns. Edge of my seat.

Pardon Me While I Take A Nap And Drool On My Desk

This blog is boring. Even to me. Especially to me.

I talked about a new banner. I'll get around to it — and I don't even have to do it! My friend Alain has offered.

Nothing blogworthy is happening. I used to take unblogworthy things and turn them into entertaining stories. Apparently these days I'm incapable of doing that.

It's a big Internet out there. I'm sure you'll find something to stare at.

Edit One: This is cool.

Edit Two: I may be liveblogging the Super Tuesday returns tomorrow night.

Not Really A Football Fan

But that was a pretty damn good Super Bowl.