Semi-Pro

John, Carolee, Topher and I had a blast at the recent Semi-Pro event at the Drafthouse. We had to come in full Flint Tropics uniforms (thanks, Tim!), which made for some fabulous photos.



I had on an obnoxious amount of blue eye-shadow and as I predicted, my mom went on and on about how pretty I looked. (sigh)

Running, Reloaded

I've decided to be a runner again. Not sure what happened, but I supposed it's been coming for a while and I woke up yesterday certain that it was time. Plus, now that I work for a fabulous company that pays for me to run in lots of local races it seems silly not to take advantage of such a cool perk.

To seal my new dedication, I'm signing up for my next marathon today. I'll be signing up for the half (Saturday) and the full (Sunday), which sounds so crazy sick that I HAVE to do it!

I made you a mixed tape

Not sure why I'm so nostalgic today, but this and this have gotten me thinking about a boy I knew in highschool who made me 37 mixed tapes. I can't listen to them any more because I don't have a cassette deck, and my car stereo ate one of them, but I still have the others and I'm sorry that I was kindof a jerk.

Also, does anyone know how kids exchange song lists these days? There was something so lovely about tapes with all of the songs written out by hand.

Happy Valentine's Day, Lou Gruffino

John and I have never really celebrated V-Day - it seems silly now that we're married, and we're pretty good about going on dates and buying each other little gifts whenever we see something the other would like. Our first official date was actually on Valentine's Day kindof by accident many moons ago - it was quite lovely, but I digress.

In the 3rd grade, a boy I was "dating" whom we shall call Lou Gruffino gave me what I think will always be my very favorite V-Day gift - an irradescent blue plastic heart shaped bracelet, and some variation of the "Roses are Red" poem, written on notebook paper in marker. He had terrible handwriting, so another girl from class (I think her name was Andrea) wrote out the poem. It was terribly sweet and completely unexpected and I think that his face during the moment he handed me the awkward little package (bracelet "wrapped" inside the notebook paper poem, I believe) will always hold a place in my heart.

A vote for us is a vote for freedom

We finished our Filmaking Frenzy project and I think it came out really well. You can check it out here, and if you love me you'll take a moment to set up an account and vote.

Oh, and "Grave Dan," if we suck and didn't get the concept, how come Michel Gondry copied us?

Don't you hate

when your ex-personal trainer (who doesn't know that the "ex" status because you LIED and said you were traveling for business for the month of January, when really you just can't afford to go anymore) sits at the table next to you at your favorite local coffee shop? Yeah, me too.

Those Old Bikram Days

In yoga yesterday the topic of Bikram came up during Eagle pose, and several of us admitted that we had gone through what the teacher called "those old Bikram days." After Dad died, I went to a lot of Bikram, and found great comfort in the super hot room, the always constant set of postures, and the drill sergeant (at least for yoga) style of the teachers. The mirrors (if you've never been, you spend the first 45 minutes of the series watching yourself do poses in the mirror at the front of the class) were also, in a wierd way, good for me. As a woman with some body issues, it was nice to be looking at myself in a mirror positively thinking "look at the cool stuff I can do." But (inevitably, it now seems) one day the class seemed really oppressive, and after that class I've only been back a few times. I guess that there's a time for being in a room where you can only think about yourself, and then there isn't.

That sounds awfully dismissive of the practice, and I don't really mean to be. It's certainly physically challenging, I just wasn't able to make the spiritual connection. I think a good friend just had her falling out with Bikram, and she's asked me to suggest what style to try next. I love introducing people to yoga (I actually took her to her first Bikram class, poor dear), and I'm excited to go down this path with her a bit.

For those of you in the Austin area that are still digging Bikram (and I know there are lots of you, cause man is it hard to get into the 4 pm Saturday class at Yoga Groove), Rajashree is coming back to The Crossings this month.

Yuck

I don't know what it is about Friday afternoons where my work ethic just flies out the window. Plus, I'm on day 5 or so of the never-ending cold that is really probably just allergies - the constant headache and tiredness is really starting to get old. In an attempt to feel better, I have taken the following remedies in the span of the last 24 hours:
Nyquil - last night, around 11 pm
Over the counter cold day time medicine - 7 am today
Flonase - 8 am
Coffee - 10 am
Double espresso - 1 pm
Allegra and 2 tylenol - 4 pm

Amazingly the previous "cures" have left me feeling super nauseous, so I just took 2 Pepto Bismol chewables. Damn cedar. Why must Austin punish us so? (That's right, I'm blogging about my allergies. Take that, interesting blogs!)