Monday Was Just a Write-Off

What to do when you have nothing (or not much) to do?  That’s my current dilemma.  I’m in limbo as I expected and really wish I had a huge project to work on, but right now, that’s not the case.  So as I sit in my new office location – at my new wobbly desk – with my new phone that no one can figure out, I try to find things to do.

Obviously, we’ve moved into our new office location.  We’re in the other building and boy oh boy is it warm and humid.  I actually brought a fan in with me to help with the stifling heat that almost took me out yesterday.  No lie.  It is just sickening in here.

Yesterday was a really rough day for me.  I woke up sicker than I’ve been at all – so miserable I didn’t make it into work until about 9:30AM….it took me three hours to feel like I could actually take a shower and get ready – driving was a joy.

Here are some fun highlights of my day Monday:

1.       Woke up gagging.

2.       Got to work about 2 hours after my co-workers to move into our new cubicles.

3.       Found out my desk shakes when I type – so my monitor gives me the motion sickness gags.

4.       I walked with some friends over to our old building to have lunch in the 95 degree weather.   As soon as I entered the old building, my heel broke off of my favorite shoes.  They’re toast.

5.       I heated my lunch, sat down to eat and gagged.  Closed lunch and sat for a minute with the group and then had to leave because the smells of their lunches was too much.

6.       I walked back to the new building solo.  Water was more than I could handle yesterday.

7.       I limped the rest of the day.

8.       I had a cup of Corn Chex and popcorn to eat all day - that’s it.

9.       I spilled my ice coffee from Starbucks all over the back of my car when I went to leave work.

10.   Went to the chiropractor (yay Dr. Matt) – that was a highlight – but my back and neck were so bad I had to lie on ice for about 30 minutes.  Ouch.

Don’t get me wrong, there were some highlights to yesterday – the chiropractor helped me immensely.  I feel better – slept well last night and had yoga with my friend K.  She calmed me down the rest of the way after a really crappy day.  Yay YogaMe!!

Today, I’m equipped with my fan, my psi wristbands, a calmer stomach and a hope that this will turn out to be a great week!

Happy Tuesday Ya’ll!

Namaste Ya'll

According to the FreeDictionary.com, yoga can be defined as:
.

1. also Yoga A Hindu discipline aimed at training the consciousness for a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility.

2. A system of exercises practiced as part of this discipline to promote control of the body and mind.

I'm not really sure what I thought about yoga before today, but I know I always likened yoga with pain.  Not sure why, I guess just watching people on TV doing yoga always made me wince.  So this morning, when my friend Kiesha arrived at 8:55AM - I was totally unsure of what to expect.

Kiesha is a great friend whom I met through a former job who has become an accomplished yoga instructor and has started her own business called, Yoga-Me.  If you live in the Charlotte, NC area, I highly recommend you shoot her an email and check out one of her classes or even better, have her come to your house like I did and do a one-on-one session.  There was no pain - at all.  And in my world, that's saying a great deal.

It was probably one of the most relaxing things I've ever done that actually worked my muscles!  I can't wait until our next session - but I promise you this, due to my ridiculously short arms, I will never become a true yoga devotee.  It's true what they say about your arm length being equal to the length of your feet - tiny feet + short arms = awkward yoga to be sure!

My goal for doing yoga is really to gain back my upper body strength that was lost after so many surgeries - and if I get cut arms out of the deal, hey, I'll take it!  I'll never have Kiesha's 'guns', but I'll be satisfied with arms that look like they belong to a 40 something and not a 60 something! :o)

I also want to find some methods for stress relief - learning different ways to breathe based upon my situation could be really important - that and I'd love to find a way to go back to sleep at night when my brain won't be quiet.  I have a lot of those...maybe soon I won't!  Either way, I loved my first foray into yoga and I hope to learn much more about it - and soon!  You've been warned Kiesha!

As for today, it was another blazing hot one here in the South - I hope that wherever you are that you are staying cool, calm and relaxed - and enjoying your weekend!

Namaste Ya'll!  Happy Sunday and Happy July!

Yoga For Dummies

Life is good.  When you think it's not, think again.  Right now, I have Paxton on my feet, curled up in a tight ball with Seamus laying next to him, watching TV. (Yes, he does.)  Seriously, when you're having a bad day, go find a dog and cuddle.  It makes all bad things better.  They just 'know' don't they?

Today is sort of a free association day for me....my mind is wandering.  Just too many things banging around up there.  I have a much better frame of mind though and have totally surrendered those things I can't control; I have really felt much calmer because of it too.  I highly recommend it!  I've never been one to give up on 'fixing things', but boy, when everything is just 'done broke', you sure need to take a virtual time out and just let things be broken for a while.

Right now, my kitchen dish drainer is full of dishes and flower vases, there are grass clippings all over the once clean floor - thanks to the Bubbies' jaunts outside - and I have coupons on the coffee table from two weeks ago that still need to be clipped.  So what am I doing?  Watching the Food Network and free associating with you!  I have to say, it feels good too.  :o)

I had an wonderful dinner with a great friend last night - she's the newest member of Team McGowan!  Woohoo!  She's a yogi - some day when I grow up I truly want my arms to look like hers.  At this point though, I'll settle for learning how to breathe and stretch and in general, make my body stronger.  We've talked about it for a few years now, and I think my poor body is finally ready to move forward.  My brain has been ready for a while - but you know to do Yoga, you need the whole package engaged, mind and body.

So we're going to schedule time and she's going to kick my butt - well, my body from the waist up to start.  I call it the 'ignored zone' - everything hurts above the waist, so I typically only work out from the waist down - you know, bike riding, walking etc...it's time to wake up my back and shoulders and get some tone back.

I think if you look up atrophied at Wikipedia.com, they show my body.  Sad, but true.  K has a great deal of work to do with me!  I really think half of it is mental....but that's the hard part - turning my brain off and just moving.

You know, that's going to be my mantra - Turn off my brain and just move.  I like it.  Of course I'll still bake and worry a little, but that's allowed right? 

Happy Wednesday Ya'll!