Posted in Charleston, quotes, Thoughts on January 29, 2013| Leave a Comment »
What will be your Space Jam?
In other news, I think I have broken my foot. If I haven’t broken my foot, I’ve done something else awful to it. Or I’ve lost my mind. Life is full of possibilities.
It was super foggy this morning. The first two photos are from this morning, and the last one is what the harbor is suppose to look like, without the fog, and with the bridge. It is creepy to look out and have it look like the bridge was never there. Especially when it is sunny.
Posted in Charleston, outside, Religion, yoga on January 6, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Yesterday, I went to yoga for the first time since before Christmas. In the past year, I’ve been fairly dedicated to my yoga practice, mostly because if I only go once a week, it is difficult to walk and breathe the next day I’m so sore. I’ve also made some fantastic friends through yoga, and I hate missing them. When I’m consistent in my practice, I sleep better, I work better, I feel better, I eat better, and I am significantly more in control of my anxiety. Plus, I feel stronger and more aware of my body. There is very little excuse for me to not be dedicated, especially since there are no real negatives.
In the summer, I was running and doing yoga, but in the fall when my tennis season started back, running became more difficult. The high impact of running and the high impact of tennis do not live harmoniously in my joints. Too much working out causes me to have debilitating muscle cramps. I’ve tried everything, believe me, and the only sure fire way to stop the cramps is to not work out every day of the week and cut back on my high impact activities. I’m better off with one or the other. I’m sure I will start running again in February, if only so I can enjoy the bridge run. I’m happy to go out and run a 5k when I haven’t been running on a regular basis, but running a 10k without prior consideration sucks. I can do anything for an hour, and I’ve done it before when not prepared, but I was miserable the whole time. My masochistic qualities are spotty at times.
The yoga class I went to yesterday was at the studio in Mount Pleasant, which is the largest yoga studio I’ve ever practiced in, and there were more people there than I’ve ever seen. It was SLAMMED with people. This is what Saturday morning yoga looks like in January.
I went to the movies last night – Django – because, as you know, movies make me happy. We went to the local Carmike, because the movie was not playing at the smaller arts theater that is infinitely preferable (but also significantly more expensive). We got there about 15 minutes early, and the theater was already starting to fill up. By the time the movie started, it was 3/4 full, and after 20 minutes of previews, it was slammed. This is what the movie theater looks like on a Saturday night in January.
This morning, I went to church. I love my church, it is the greatest little Episcopal church. I can walk there, all of the preachers are great, and the congregation is a perfect mix of diversity. I should go more often. I love that my Episcopal church here retains so many qualities of the church where I went to school growing up, and the Episcopal church in Athens. I feel confident I could find an Episcopal church in most places in the world, and some aspect would remind me of home.
You know how if you’ve been traveling abroad for long enough, and you find yourself at the McDonald’s eating a McFlurry, simply because it feels like home. I never go to McDonald’s, and even when I do, I rarely get McFlurries. But every McFlurry I’ve ever eaten in a foreign country sticks out in my mind as the greatest McFlurry ever made. I don’t mean to imply that McDonald’s and the Episcopal church have a lot in common, I’m just saying there is comfort in familiarity. As a side note, the McDonald’s in Greece serves something called the McGreek – which is a hamburger patty in a pita with tzatsiki sauce on it. I have it on good authority that the McDonald’s in India serves something called a McVeggie. Way to assimilate Micky-D.
Apologies for that ridiculous tangent. Back to church this morning. It was Epiphany – which is one of the happiest services of the year beyond Easter and Christmas. I like using Epiphany as a noun. I felt lighter when I left. I like to sit in the balcony, and in the summertime, the balcony might have five people in it. This morning, the balcony was at capacity. This is what church looks like the first Sunday in January.
In other January news, I’ve been toying with the idea of Drynuary – I normally have little interest in absolutes, and believe that life should be lived in moderation – but the holidays left me feeling a little pickled, and I thought it couldn’t hurt to try out. I also made this decision on New Year’s day, at Home Team after the polar bear plunge. I don’t feel convicted enough to last the whole month, but my goal is 10 days, maybe two weeks, of no alcohol, and then a commitment to moderation. This seems reasonable, healthy, and doable. I’ve given up drinking for lent a couple of times, but that was at a time when I was much more interested in absolutes and convictions. And my masochistic tendencies were less spotty.
It is raining today, and there is a woodpecker outside of my window – going to town on the carolina cherry. At first I thought it was a redheaded woodpecker, but further investigation reveals it to be a Red-bellied woodpecker. Apparently redheaded woodpeckers have red all over their head and their neck, and this dude most definitely only had red like a cap on his head, and a white stomach, with a speckled back. Learn something new every day.
Posted in Books, Briscoe, Charleston, Christmas, Colorado, Current Affairs, Favorite People, Film, Thoughts on January 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »
I literally cannot believe that is already 2013. Life moves shockingly fast these days. I feel like all I’ve done in the past few weeks is eat and drink. Let’s think about 2012 for a minute. I read a lot of books in 2012. Most recently, I read Liars and Saints, which I highly recommend. Rarely, I come across an author that has a syntax or voice that I can only describe as hitting the right cord, where I don’t actually care what they are writing about, because simply reading the words is enjoyable. I haven’t figured out exactly what I mean by that, but Maile Meloy writes in a way that I find immensely satisfying. For example, I don’t particularly like depressing stories, but I love Jack London because of his writing. There is something chewy and piercing about it. Obviously, the really great writers make people feel this way, but I think there is something very personal about who hits me like this. There are lots of fantastically talented writers who I can acknowledge that their work is quality, but who don’t resonate with me. Steinbeck and Faulkner don’t do it for me. Robert Louis Stevenson and F. Scott Fitzgerald do.
I read The Tiger’s Wife in early 2012, and that story really stuck with me. The structure of the book was different, and there was a detached and dry quality to it that made the fantastical side of the book seem more believable.
My favorite book of 2012 was The Night Circus. This book was highly fantastical, and maybe not for everyone. But I found the emotion conveyed through the story to be moving and enthralling.
I also read the Silver Lining Playbook (awesome! read it), The Forgotten Garden (didn’t love it), Ready Player One (a fun read for any child of the 80s), The House of Mirth (Edith, you are so beautiful, and your stories could not be more depressing), Wicked (so much love for this book), Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (you will cry laughing and feel more normal), The Mists of Avalon (enjoyable, if you are into long drawn out medival sagas, and really, who isn’t?), The Casual Vacancy (J.K. Rowling’s first adult novel. A good read, but certain things seemed forced for the purpose of proving it was NOT A CHILDREN’S BOOK), and I started Freedom, but then I got bored with it and never finished it.
I feel like I saw a lot of movies this year too. It’s amazing how hard it is to remember. Let’s see, maybe I can go backwards. Les Miserables (awesome, obviously), Life of Pi (heartbreaking and visually captivating), Anna Karinina (I read this book in high school, and I was impressed at how they were able to pack the whole story into an appropriate length movie, but it’s a depressing story), Skyfall (I love Bond movies, and Daniel Craig is fun), Beast of the Southern Wild (man, everyone should see this movie. Unbelievable. Hush Puppy is fantastic), Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson is a proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy), The Hunger Games (people who don’t like Jennifer Lawrence are just jealous), Magic Mike (people who don’t like Channing Tatum are just jealous), Being Flynn (everyone likes Robert De Nero), and finally, The Iron Lady (I felt more educated after this movie). I feel like I had to have seen more movies at the beginning of the year, but now I can’t remember. That’s a strong showing, but I still feel like I’ve missed some huge movies. Argo, The Hobbit, The Silver Lining Playbook, Django Unchained. I’ve also tried to catch up on some of last year’s movies in the comfort of my own home. Hugo, Trouble with the Curve, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy, How to Train Your Dragon (my new favorite animated film), The Muppets, 21 Jump Street, and Coraline.
Basically, if you were curious about what I’ve been doing in the past year, I’ve been watching movies and reading books. Sometimes I go outside and interact with something called other people. It definitely explains why I haven’t been blogging, because I’ve been reading and watching. I am going to try to stop being such a consumer and start producing.
I did go to a few concerts – Blitzen Trapper, Patterson Hood, The Avett Brothers, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Brandi Carlisle, Miranda Lambert, Chris Young, and Jerrod Niemann.
2012 was an excellent year. It was a year full of new friendships, important re-connections, thousands of downward dogs and chaturangas, a 10k, a 5k, one of the best tennis teams a girl could ask for, abundant sunshine, oysters, shrimps, boats, coffee, beaches, bowling, late night dancing, handstands, thunderstorms (I had a dream last night I was struck by lightening, but it didn’t hurt, it just left a weird scar on my leg), Vail, Steamboat Springs (TWICE!), Williamsburg, Sea Island, Valdosta, D.C., a job I love more than I ever thought possible, and some damn good football. And I cut all my hair off. Everyone should try it.
I have high hopes for 2013. I think it is going to be the best one yet.
Photo evidence of awesomeness.
the thin line between optimism and delusion... 