Monday, July 28, 2014

Mostly Mraz

#1 -
I've listened to this before, but I started my day with it, always a good reminder.

#2 - I jog with my friend once a week at 7:45 or 8pm. If I waited that late to exercise without her, it would never happen. It also often makes the rest of my evening feel more productive. I usually clean the bathroom sometime on the weekend, but I wasn't home much this weekend and it didn't happen. This morning I was not appreciating this, and when I confirmed that my friend was coming here to jog, it motivated me to take action.

#3 - I listed to the Jason Mraz interview on Q with Jian Ghomeshi on CBC Radio. Listening to Mraz interviews I've come to realize how superficial or how deep he can sound in large part relates to the person interviewing him, which makes me reflect on how the people around us influence who we show up as. I like this Jian Ghomeshi guy.

#4 - http://songza.com/ Today's Singer-Songwriters -got here from a Mraz link and I'm enjoying the tunes. Echosmith "Cool Kids" is my favorite thus far.

#5 - Mraz link too.   -

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Waterski Show

There is a free waterski show on the Mississippi near downtown Minneapolis during the summertime.  I’m sure it has been going on for many years, but last summer was the first time I checked it out.  I wanted to go back this year, but it was unlikely I’d get around to it.  Then I was sitting on the bus coming home from soccer today and I thought, “I think this is going to go right near the show.”  And, “It’s 3PM, I think the show starts at 3pm.”  I quickly pulled out the bus map to see if I was as close as I thought, and then ran through the reasons why I should/shouldn’t stop.

#1 – I was pretty sure this was where the show was last year, but I had not checked this year to see if it was in the same spot.
#2 – I had spoken to my sister-in-law on the phone that morning and she thought they might go.
#3 – I didn’t actually KNOW what time the show was, but I had run into someone else from the yoga studio at the farmer’s market yesterday and she had mentioned the waterski show and I thought she said it was 3pm.
#4 – I had “lunch” at 9:45AM so I would probably be getting hungry soon, but I did have a good snack with me.
#5 – I was out of water.

The last one was my primary concern.  But I figured my brother would have water and I did have grapes as part of my snack.  So I pulled the bus cord (one stop past where I wanted to go, I was thinking as fast as I could!) and started walking.  

#1 – Yes the waterski show was there.
#2 – No, I did not find my family. (I learned there was a 7pm show too so maybe they went to that one.)
#3 –   Yes the show began at 3PM.
#4 – My snack was awesome.
#5 – I found a drinking fountain to fill up my water bottle.

I greatly respect the athleticism of all the water skiers and after the show I caught the bus more easily than many of the people got back to their cars.

It was 6PM when I got home hungry.  Unlike nearly every other Sunday (when I typically do my grocery shopping), I had so much yummy food waiting for me!  Veggie joes and green bean fries which I made for dinner last night.  Salad with homemade dressing, cucumber dill dip for my fresh market snap peas and yummy fruit.  This is my favorite time of year for fruit!

On a separate note, we try to have a few special event days at the farmer's market.  I volunteered to be in charge of "Health and Wellness" day, because that is my thing.  One difficulty at the market is wind.  Things are always blowing away at the info table.  So I jerry-rigged this little stand to put free yoga passes in out of two cardboard food boxes and old calendars (to make them look nicer).  Now I'll just put some rocks in the bottom box, and hopefully have a secure set-up.  I have one more to make for our health and wellness activities raffle.


Saturday, July 12, 2014

Roll Out

#1 - I'm trying to order some pen refills on Amazon. I've been dismayed that I can't find them at the store and I was finally getting around to order some, and I suppose this speaks to how little I shop online, but I have them in my "cart" and I can't figure out how to "checkout". It is driving me nuts and I'm getting so frustrated because I know this should be very simple! Anyway, I took a break to write this instead and now am breathing deeply and smiling instead of becoming stressed. Who knows what will happen when I go back to it though.

#2 - My main "junk" drawer where I throw things had gotten so bad that I had a bad dream about it last night. I guess that is what it took for me to take action and remedy the situation.

#3 - I'm planning the Health and Wellness day for the Farmer's Market. Last week I spoke to a woman and it came out that they would be interested in doing a square dancing demonstration. Perfect! I tried contacting her a couple times, but I didn't hear back. Today, she called and asked if the leader of the dancers had contacted me, not yet, but I did appreciate her follow-up.

#4  - Last night I volunteered for "Date Night Log Rolling".  Log rolling (a sport originating with lumberjacks balancing on a log on a river) is something that sounded fun.  I held the log as people stepped up and then tried to hold it a little bit while they steadied themselves.  I think I tried to help a little too much as the inside of my knees got scraped up and hurt when they rubbed against anything last night.  I guess I should have let people fall more.

Oh well, I was happy to support the couples doing something interesting for their date nights!  Today at the Farmer's Market I came across one of the couples again. :)

#5 - I'm reading Ashley Judd's All that Is Bitter & Sweet

The book is about her life, and her work as a global ambassador with Population Services International where she focuses on AIDS prevention, education and treatment. This quote is at the beginning of a chapter.




" What the eye sees better the heart feels more deeply.
We not only increase the likelihood of our being moved;
we also run the risks that being moved entails. Seeing increases our vulnerability to being recruited to the welfare of another."

Robert Kegan, The Evolving Self





Friday, July 4, 2014

Wipe Out




























From the direction I was biking, the sign said, "Caution ahead, trail underwater," but I didn't stop to take a photo of that sign.

It took quite a while to get to the water, so I thought, "Maybe it's dried up." Then it appeared, but I kept going, "I wonder how deep it gets?" I thought. You can't stop pedaling once you hit water and expect to get going again. When I got to the middle, my pedals started going under. But I was having fun!

Then, I hit some algae or something, that water had clearly been there a while, and the bike slipped out from under me. The water was deep enough to absorb most of my fall, so I only got minor abrasions. I certainly got wet! I laughed, stood up, and realized that I had stored my camera in the right pocket of my bike bag. The bike tipped left. Had I tipped the other way, instead of being able to take this shot, I would have ruined my camera. That water behind me is the bike trail in the spot where I fell. This ended up being the most fun part of my day!








Believe it or not this is a gratitude. It happened in mile 34 of a 35 mile bike ride, I can walk a mile :).