Success...Three years in the making

Three years, dozens of stores and four returns later, I have a shoe success. Shoes that fit, are comfortable and look nice. An added bonus - I do not need to step into a shoe store for, fingers crossed, another three years.

You Know It's Spring When...

- The last bit of ice has melted from the lake. - The annoying, but non-biting bugs have come out from where they have been hiding to fly in your mouth, eyes and nose when walking or biking. - Your son strips off his clothes and plays in the sprinkler. Note: Again, the upside down photo. Why, Blogspot, do you do this? And I really miss a decent photo editing software. Painting is not my forte.

Violence=yoga

Yoga. It brings to mind a sense of peace and relaxation, calm and inner stillness. Or in my case, I want to punch the smiling yoga teacher in the face. I think I might not be into yoga right now. The first month of my yoga and Pilate practise went really well. I was doing it three times a week and in that time could feel my flexibility and strength returning. I was feeling good and enjoying it. Then I had a setback and for the last month or so – time does fly these days – I have been getting to it once a week if I was lucky. And in that time I have apparently lost strength, flexibility, ability and desire. It didn't help that I really didn't feel like doing it today, but thought I should has it had been a while. It didn't help that when I attempted to do downward dogs, the cat went into attack mode, biting my upper arm with ears flat and fur raised. When I attempted to lock him in the bathroom, where bad cats go for a timeout, he attempted his door-opening trick (my cat opens doors) and then bounced and cried until I let him back out. By that time, I my strength was failing, my mind was on anger and what I once thought was a smiling yoga teacher, began to feel like a smug yoga teacher showing me up with her ability to do the splits and sun salutations without pause. With those thoughts running through my head, the cat making his crying sound and my patience at an all-time low, I called it quits. Another day, perhaps a new exercise tape and a cat in the downstairs bathroom.

I am too tall

Personally, I think I am the perfect height. Five-foot 10-inches, 34 inches of which is leg, to me is the ideal height. I guess the problem is my house is too small or at least too small for a five-foot 10-inch girl trying to do yoga and Pilates in her living room. I can't stretch out. When I do any of the exercises in Pilates that require me to stretch out or to put my hands behind my head, I can't. Instead I put my hands to my sides and hope for the best. When I am doing yoga, I spend a lot of my time switching my mat around so I can still see the TV and have room to do my poses. I watch the instructors on the DVD, they seem to have so much room. When I took a yoga class, I had to have a perimeter around me. I need a perimeter in my living room.