Holy Yoga:)

So I have come to think of myself as 22 going on late 40's, early 50's (no offense to those of you who are those ages, and not that I'm not going to be a hella cool 40 or 50 year old) but I just got home from yoga and I'm drinking a cup of tea. It's only a short period of time before I skip off to my room for the night, open my book and get such sleepy eyes that I fall asleep within half an hour of reading. Hey, at least I skipped. 

Like I said in my first post, after I described to you that life changing event that happened almost two years ago, my life is different. I've been working in childcare since I can remember and have been at my job (Kindercare Learning Center) for 3 years this August. So, it's been awhile since I've had your common 8-5 job and with my internal clock, there is no way my body is able to stay up past 10:30.. 11 is pushing it.. even on weekends.. which I'm cool with. Occasionally, I'm able to, but that's an entirely different blog. We're going to stick with me being 65 for tonight. 

A few weeks ago, wait. My life is flying by. More like a few months ago, my mom introduced me to Holy Yoga. My mom's friend, Mary has a son named Gino, who was good friends with my brother in High school, more like best friends. I feel like that's somewhat useless information and kind of confusing but anyways! Mary's daughter, Maria, is a yoga instructor. Well, was, until she had her second baby on Superbowl Sunday. So now, a girl named Megan, instructs both Monday and Thursday nights of Holy Yoga. Holy yoga is amazing. I have to say, I have never been a fan of a workout that doesn't make me sweat a bunch because I feel like I've accomplished the most that I can when I do break a huge sweat. During class (lights off, candles lit) Megan takes a few minutes to say a bible verse, repeats it another time before class is over and then takes some time for prayer at the end. Side note: I never used to go to church and now I do almost every Sunday. With my mom. and then we go to lunch. It's great. Which brings me back to yesterday's blog title, A different kind of Sunday Funday -- now you understand :) 

I got home, checked the facebook world, and was called out on not posting a blog yet today. I thought to myself and replied to Kris, "I just got back from yoga, my mind is so clear I don't even know if I can write about anything tonight." 

So tonight is going to stay short and sweet.  I'm sure I'll have more things to rant and rave about later this week. I am trying a spinning class at the YMCA on Thursday. That I have never done before and I might die. I'll probably have to bust out my sports related inhaler I haven't used since my sophomore year of high school. Too bad I have absolutely no idea where it is or if it even exists anymore. And too bad Joel's out of town, I could just borrow one of his puffers. Yes, my boyfriend is crazy asthmatic. But I like love him.

A different kind of Sunday funday.

So I am a sucker for a good quote. There are times when I find myself, reading through one of the many quote books I own, because I'm stressed about something, down for some reason, or really just because. I think they are so uplifting and can really put things in perspective. 

Gosh, it feels like forever ago now, but not too long ago I had a conversation with a girlfriend who claimed they were just "lost" and she was really trying hard to "find herself" So! Being me and full of quotes, I throw some her way on facebook chat, and tell her I have the perfect book for her. I still have not sent her this book-- you can read it when you're home next, Chris ;) Or! Maybe I'll actually send it to you. 

The book is called, Lean forward into your Life "Begin each day as if it were on purpose"
By: Mary Anne Radmacher 
The book is about "boldly looking forward and daring to move through life's obstacles with honesty, joy, and velocity."

"I'm going to love this," I thought. Sadly, I had somewhat of a hard time getting into the book, but  I came across some amazing words and I feel the need to share them with you.  Here they are:


Live with intention.
Walk to the edge.
Listen hard. Play with abandon.
Practice wellness. Laugh. Risk love. 
Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends.
Choose with no regret. 
Fail with enthusiasm. 
Stand by your family. 
Celebrate the holidays that make sense.
Lead or follow a leader. Do what you love.
Live as if this is all there is.

Homework: Commit yourself to constant self-improvement.  

Happy Sunday!  

 

It hasn't even been 24 hours.

Okay, seriously, all I can think about is blogging. This may be, along with online shopping and Tiesto, my newly acquired weakness. Right after my first post, I thought to myself, "okay. Wait until tomorrow at least for the next one." But now I find myself thinking, "There is simply no reason. If I feel like I have things to say, I will say them. My blog is not a very attractive guy I've started hanging out with, who I have to not call, or pretend I don't actually like.. my blog is my blog and I don't have to play hard-to-get." 


I want to talk about my day yesterday, or I should say lunch break. It was quite intense. As I was making my way through a stop light, going straight, I realized this car ahead of me is driving right for me. I don't know if this person is completely oblivious and in the wrong lane or if they were turning and somehow didn't see me. You should know right now, that I had the horn in my car taken out awhile ago, because my alarm had a mind of it's own and would start going off for no reason, during my work day, in the middle of the night etc. So, thinking to myself, "I hardly ever need my horn and I don't want to deal with this annoyance" I went to the dealership and had it taken out- even after they told me it was somewhat of a safety hazard. Of course, now that I don't have it, I've had time after time that I've wanted to use it and have been unable to. Back to the stop lights: Because I don't have a horn, I swerve and find myself driving full force over the median that the light is on and facing the opposite direction of traffic. Luckily, I am alongside Kel Bernsteen (a friend's mom) and can roll down my window and say, "What the hell!!" I pull over, exchange numbers with the idiot- just in case, realize my front bumper is only a little cracked, not a huge deal, it happens, but holy shit did that scare me. 


My heart is racing. So, I make my way to the tanning salon. Thinking, "perfect, I'll put on my tiesto podcast and relax." Side note: I find my heart racing right now just reliving this experience. I feel like there's a cop driving behind me. Back to the tanning salon. I park, and out of habit I take my keys out of the ignition, put them in my purse, grab only my tanning lotion and ipod and leave my purse sitting in the front seat, lock my door, and shut it. dammit. I have never once locked my keys in my car. and I would right after I almost get in a head on collision. I go into the tanning salon with a smile (because I can't believe this line of events) on my face and tell the owner my situation. I call my mom- no answer. I get hold of Mike Standard and someone to help me out. "We'll be there in 15 minutes." "Perfect, I'll tan for ten." I get done tanning, walk out, my keys are handed to me and $60 later, I am in my car driving back to work. 


I get back to work with about 5 minutes left of my break. I notice my mom has left me a voicemail. "Hi honey, I didn't answer because I was driving. I just got to the hospital, grandma is here and she's got heart failure and her lungs are filling with fluid and they don't think she's going to make it through this one.." I can hear that my mom is almost in tears.  "Best. Break. Ever." I think to myself. Luckily, my co-teacher was there and is an awesome hugger, just like myself.  

So last night, I'm taking a shower. and I think to myself, "how the heck am I in such a good mood right now after such unfortunate events?"  I'm smiling. And I know that it's because my mom's amazing optimism has rubbed off on me. It's crazy and so amazing to me that my outlook on life is still so positive in hard and sad times. So Thank you mom, for teaching and showing me that life is so great, even in the times that aren't so great. I love you mucho!

I caved.

After discovering the blog world, reading and falling in love with other people's blogs, having conversations with myself about whether to start my own or not, as well as with the people in my every day life-- I have caved. I have realized people start blogs for many reasons: documenting a trip, starting a new chapter in life, or just because. I originally had planned on starting a blog for my trip to the Holy Land with my mom this coming June. But because of the mess going on in Egypt right now, our trip has fallen through. Until next May. Unfortunate. And I am left with no reason whatsoever to start this blog I've been anxiously awaiting for. Recently, after reading the blogs of people I know, I've been thinking to myself that I must have one! I thought to myself last night, how funny it would have been to start a blog a couple years ago, when my life was crazy funny and so much was going on. I call that time B.J.- before Joel. Not that my life isn't still crazy funny, but it is in completely different ways. Side note: Joel is my amazing boyfriend of about a year and a half. Anyways! why don't I give you a little rundown on why my life is completely different now than it was a couple years ago. Think you can handle it? 

Here it goes: A couple months after I turned 21, in July 2009 I made the horrible horrible decision is getting behind the wheel after a couple drinks. Maybe more than a couple. Long story short: I got pulled over, put in the back of a cop car, and carted off to the Woodbury Police Department. Little did I know that this very night had changed my life for the better. Over the course of the next few months, I went through I very hard time, what I think was definitely "rock bottom" in my life thus far. In and out of assessments, court, fighting people who badly wanted me in treatment-- treatment for "alcoholism" when I definitely wasn't an alcoholic. I just made the wrong decision. BUT it changed me. If you know me, I'm a great, very caring person, I get along with pretty much everyone, easily top 5 in the humor department ;) and I have about as much confidence and self esteem for it to be broken down, shared with the world and I still have enough for myself left over. This all changes, unfortunately, when I get a certain amount of drinks in me. So over time I've discovered that alcohol is just not something I mix well with- it's about the only thing, as I have a very adaptive personality. Too bad, but definitely not too bad. 


So! As common as is it is to say-- I am very thankful for everything I've gone through at this point in my life. Which brings me to a wonderful quote I came across the other day on someone's very inspiring blog ;) 

"I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing." -Agatha Christie 

  
I feel like I could go on and on, get you (whoever you are) up to speed on my life, so we are all on the same page. After that information overload-- information I dislike telling people, because it is not something anyone should be proud of, I feel that it changed me. For the better. And that is something I am proud of.  

As of now, I am hungry and should probably get out of bed, for it is 1pm.