I am ALIVE

Hi there.  I am alive and well and wanted to post an update. Honestly, nothing big is happening but I’m staying very busy.  Loving spring and the start of summer.  Here’s a bulleted update of my latest adventures/thoughts:

• Boston Race Report:  Total procrastination.  But now that I’m using Live Writer the writing and editing is a lot easier.  I have a first draft!  All of the pictures are in this draft post and I’m adding the narrative as I go.  It is hard to be inspired to write this report – I want to include everything but the more time that passes I worry that I’m forgetting things…  Oh well, it is what it is, right?
• Health:
  • Continuing weekly goals are eating well, taking vitamins, sleeping well, drinking less.  For the most part is has been a success…
  • Run 35 miles per week – this was my goal distance after I recovered from the marathon.  I have not been achieving it, more like 5-10 miles per week or 1-2 runs per week.  I’ve found that if I’ve run it makes my yoga practice less successful as my legs and entire body is tired.  I really do need to find a way to incorporate running back into my lifestyle so am trying to play around with ways to make this happen.  I.e., instead of running before yoga, do it immediately afterward to give myself optimal recovery time.  Unfortunately this is a catch 22 as right after yoga I’m exhausted and hungry.  Something has to give.
  • Swim 3x/week – I started off really well with this, taking advantage of the 50 meter facility that I have access to.  However, in the last two weeks I have not swum at all.
  • Bike 3x/week – This is a clear fail as I have not biked once!  My intention was to hit up spin class until the weather cleared but I haven’t done that either.  Partially due to the same issue the running presents with yoga.  Is that just an excuse?  Probably a little bit.
  • YOGA!  Yoga has been going great.  I started into it pretty intensely the Thursday after my Monday marathon.  Since then (April 22nd) I have only missed a couple of days on the mat.  I got a monthly membership to Yoga Pearl and been hammering away there almost daily.  I am really getting a lot out of it which I will explain in detail later.
  • Analysis:  I need to work more on incorporating something cardiovascular into my routine. 
• Work:  I do not miss it one bit.
• House:
  • I have a whole list of house projects that I’ve been chipping away at…boring stuff (pricing out blinds, pricing out new garage door, finishing paint touch ups, painting old furniture, organizing my closet).  I’m making progress so I’ll give myself a score of 3 out of 5. 
• Garden:
  • Take/post monthly pics – done for May!  (see below for a couple)
  • Make raised beds – this has been an ongoing process that seems to be taking forever.  Do we use wood or stone as a base?  How much soil do we need?  What is the best value, who delivers it, etc.  It is exhausting and replicates our process when taking on projects like this, including planning trips.  Hence, we never travel.  Bite the bullet people and make it happen!!  I have tomato starts that I did from seed that need to go into the ground soon.  I have other places I can put them but I want my damn raised beds!  HOPING to get this done by next Wednesday.  HOPING.
  • Start lettuce, radishes and carrots in the ground.  I started the radishes then the slugs came and nibbled away at most of them.  I created a moat of slug control around it and some radishes appear to have survived.  They’re still tiny though and I’m watching them daily to see if they’re growing.  Damn slugs!
  • Grow peas – I started these weeks ago outside and they’re already growing tall!  I created teepees from our downed bamboo in the back.  I can’t wait for the blossoms and harvest!  Slugs were an issue here too but the bait/poison I laid down seems to have done the trick.
  • Plant annuals on front walk – I bought a tray of starts from a local high school that has a horticulture program.  Everything was half off and it is neat that the kids started everything.  However, the tray still sits while I wait to find the *perfect* spot for them, then weed out the areas I want to put them.  How come I’m so slow?  I’m trying not to focus too much on the landscape architecture part of it and just have fun with it but it is hard.  So many options!
  • Start up sprinklers – we have a built in system and I’m not sure when we need to start them.  Anyone know?
  • Slug control – the slugs are rampant here and they’re disgusting.  Not to mention they eat everything up. I hate them!  I worked yesterday for an hour around 2 hosta plants that they’ve devoured already.  I snipped off all of the swiss cheese leaves (most of the plant, sadly) and created a bait/poison moat around those too.  I hope they grow back!  There is a lot more work to do on slug control…stay posted
  • Analysis:  In general our garden is thriving.  Our home’s previous owners were avid and the perennials they planted are in full bloom.  We have so many beautiful iris varieties coming up right now it is amazing.  The peonies in front are about to burst out.  I am loving it and can’t wait to keep working on it.  But it is work, and a lot of it.

 

Peas on 5/3/10

Peas on 5/9/10

Slugs!

Slug lunch

NE bed on 5/3/10

NE bed on 5/9/10  (as of May 18th, today, it is even MORE spectacular!  Need to post another pic!

 

• Volunteering/Outreach:
  • Lunch Buddies – this is a program I started three weeks ago.  I basically am paired with an elementary school kid to act as a mentor and meet up with them at their school for lunch weekly.  So far it has been great!  My buddy is a super cool and mature 3rd grade girl.  We even did a field trip last week together!  I jumped on this late in the year, but I’m glad I did it.  I’m hoping we can be matched next year too.
  • Living Yoga – This is a great local program that I’m excited to be involved with.  I started a couple of weeks ago.  My intention was to volunteer teach in one of their programs, but ended up working in the office.  I’m still going to participate in their teacher program – there is a facility near me that they teach at and I’m signed up for the teacher training in July – but in the meantime will help where ever they need me.  Last week they asked me to help with an exciting fundraising campaign for them that is coming up soon.  It is their first year doing it and I’m super excited to help develop it.  I used to work in NFP and am hoping to leverage that for Living Yoga.  We have a luncheon this Thursday to kick it off and I’ll give more details soon!
• Travel:
  • Book Italy tickets – We’re planning to go in September and NEED TO BOOK TIX.  Need.  Must.
  • 3 new hikes in May – So far we’ve done one day hike in May.  I’m planning to go on a one-night camping trip with a friend this weekend if weather permits.  I am so excited and a little terrified!
  • Book trip to Michigan – Waiting on some more information but hoping to have tickets booked by the end of this week to go in June.
• Fun stuff:
  • JT visit
  • Wedding help
  • Cirque du Soleil
  • Oregon Symphony Beethoven Festival
• Yoga:
  • This is honestly the most important part of my life right now and I’m trying to focus all of my efforts here.  This is the first time I’ve been able to deepen my practice this much and I’m having trouble laying out the plan for improvement.  With running, swimming and biking there is usually a clear path or plan that you can easily find and modify for your own needs.  With yoga it is a bit different.  I’m trying to listen to the advice to create my own home practice but this is really hard.  I enjoy going to class but can’t get myself to have a meaningful practice at home.  I am working on it though and keep reading more about how to make this happen.  The yoga itself deserves its own post which I will put up soon.  I want to report on the different studios, classes and teachers I’ve gone to and what my plan is for teacher training.  I have a lot of really good stuff started and can’t wait to see what happens next in this new path for me!

 

That’s about it!  Sorry if this was the most boring post ever.  Hope you’re having a great week!