handstandykins

Handstands are hard, y'all! Call me a dork, but I am posting this for my mom. Because if I was in Virginia, I would go, "Hey mom! Look what I've been practicing!" So here it is, mommy. With love.

xmas

Keith and I had a very nice Christmas together. We slept in a bit, opened presents, I took another nap and then we went to see Avatar. The use of color in that movie was phenomenal, but it was 2 hours and 42 minutes long. The last hour could have easily been done without! I got bored so I had to get up and go to the bathroom twice. That is way too long to be sitting in a theater.

Keith's mom got us a gift certificate to stay at Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood which also comes with two lift passes per night! We are so excited. I think we will use it for Keith's birthday. Can't wait! Keith also made an appointment for me to get an hour long massage this Tuesday evening and my mom sent me slippers and candles and QUARTERS for laundry! Yes! And Tonya got me a huge coffee mug and subscriptions to Yoga Journal and Vegetarian Times. And I got a gift card from Tony and Jenn. And a scarf from Dana! Holy cow, I got a lot of presents!

I am at work and something smells foul. It is not the trash. I think something died (no joke) and I am too afraid to look for it. I would go to pieces if I found a dead animal.

On that note, I have to leave this area before I vomit.

xoxo-
T

my baby and me

merry xmas eve

Xmas eve is different this year. Here I sit, drunk and alone in keiths section at the olive garden as I wait for him to get off work. I'm reading a yoga journal that tonya sent me for xmas (along with a full subscription!) and just observing my surroundings. Across from me sits a couple holding hands across the table. Behind me sits a couple from san diego. Beside me sits a family of thirteen enjoying a pre-christmas meal together. This makes me miss my family. But then I know that my family would never spend xmas eve in olive garden. This is my second big holiday without my family. The first being thanksgiving. But this has been an eye opening experience. I now know that I will never take my family for granted again. I cherish their love and all the past holidays we've spent together, and the ones we will spend together in the future. I cherish the relationship I have with keith, because no matter how far physically I am from "home", I know that as long as I am with him my soul will always be at home. I am grateful to my family who has never forgotten about me, despite the miles between us. And I'm grateful to my yoga students from whom I've felt an outpouring of love and support all year long. So yes, this xmas christmas eveis different. I feel more conscious and more aware of the love in my life than ever before. I can't wait to see what the new year brings for me.

Merry christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Love,
T

party

I went to an ugly holiday sweater/cookie exchange party tonight at Julia's. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find an ugly holiday sweater so I had to get creative. I decided to wear a red dress and wrap myself in Christmas lights. When I got there I plugged myself into a wall.

clean and fresh

This has been a weird couple of days. I have been so lazy, yet I have gotten so much accomplished. All of my bills are paid, my apartment is really clean and all of my laundry is done. My bathroom has been cleaned with bleach, I have fresh sheets on the bed, food in the kitchen. What more could I ask for?

something to remember

The lotus flower blooms most beautifully from the deepest and thickest mud.

love my cindy

game night @ shan & kev's

Silly Julia!

Julia and John

Summer

Shannon and Kevin

Shannon

Shannon and Kevin have a fat orange cat named Simon, too!

Julia, John and Simon

beautiful life

My life has changed profoundly this year. It's days like today that make me realize just how much different my life really is! Keith and I went to Sauvie Island to enjoy some peace and quiet and take in the amazing views of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood. We took some photos and had a wonderful time. It was so quiet I could hear every breath in and every breath out. I could hear the sound of the ripples in the water, and the lightest breeze moving through the nearly bare trees.

This week, we have had some really beautiful weather. It's been cold, but sunny and clear at the same time. I decided not to sit around and take it for granted, so I made it a point to get off my butt and go see things! I am so glad that I did.

xoxo-

T

lovely day

Julia and I had our coffee date this morning at Cup and Saucer. It was so much fun! We sat around and drank who knows how many cups of coffee for an hour and a half and then I took her to work and went to the gym. I also happened to notice what a clear and beautiful day it was, so I decided to take my camera out and capture the beauty. I went to the Rose Garden and to Washington Park and took in the fantastic view of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens for a bit, and then I just walked around some. I noticed that the poopy reservoir was almost completely drained and I took a picture of that too! I was so conscious and aware of my surroundings today. I noticed that I could see Mt. St. Helens from the corner of 18th and Davis. I wanted so badly to take a picture of it, but it wouldn't have shown up. It's amazing how clearly we can see these mountains from Portland. They are about 100 miles away. Imagine what it would have been like to be in Portland when St. Helens erupted. That's a sight I would have liked to have seen!

All in all today was a very good day. I will teach two yoga classes tomorrow and spend my time in between relaxing. Tomorrow will be a good day, too!

xoxo-

T

Mt. Hood

Here are some photos I took of Mount Hood on my little stroll today...

funny

I have been watching old episodes of Ricki Lake on youtube tonight. Freaking hysterical. I have a very early coffee date with the lovely Julia Skerry in the morning so I should take my little self to bed now.

xoxo-

T

please...

Get me to San Diego! Someway, somehow, my soul needs to be there!

comfort

I am feeling especially grateful right now for comfort in my own skin. And with who I am. And with who I am becoming. Life is good.

beautiful day

Good morning, world. Today is a beautiful day. I woke up, made coffee (with water I boiled last night), watched some Sex and the City and then came to work. It was a lovely walk. I enjoyed the sunny sky and crisp Autumn air.

If you are wondering why I boiled water last night for my coffee this morning, it's because all Portlanders living west of the Willamette River have e.coli infested water right now. Apparently fecal matter was found in the water and it tested positive yesterday for e.coli. Gross.

Amber is supposed to come into my store today and then we're going to the gym this evening. Her birthday is this Thursday and she and Keith are going snowboarding on Wednesday! It will be good to see her. I saw her briefly at her pumpkin carving party back in October, but other than that we've both been busy and it's been forever since we actually hung out.

I love living on the west coast. Love, love, love!

xoxo-
T

hi

Greetings from the corner of 17th and Yamhill! Thanksgiving was yesterday and Keith and I had a lovely day. We went to Jill Allen's 90 minute heated vinyasa class at Corepower Yoga and it was amazing. There were so many people there! We got there 30 minutes early, and it's a very good thing we did because spots filled up quick! I am very happy that we got to be next to each other. Class filled up so much, in fact, that a teacher who was going to take the class ended up giving up her spot and teaching another class in the other studio. The second class was jam packed as well. All of the money collected went to The Pixie Project, which is a local non-profit organization which stops animals from being euthanized and matches them when families. After class, we came home, talked to our families (I got to video chat with my parents!), and then we went to Shannon's for dinner. She made homemade cheesecake and it was delicious. After dinner we played Cranium and then came home. I think I was more stuffed from beer than food. I hate it when that happens! I ate plenty and was definitely full, but I could have eaten more had I not had those three Mirror Pond Ales. Oh well. They tasted pretty good, too!

I think people had food hangovers today. All of the customers were acting weird. I asked one lady if she had a nice Thanksgiving and she answered drily, "No". Then she proceeded to tell me how much her family argued. She was the first and last customer I decided to ask.

Yesterday in class, I popped up into wheel like it won't no thang. I know you aren't supposed to be attached to results, but dang did it feel good! I've been wondering recently what was going on with my wheel pose, because for the last few months (I'd even go so far as to say since I moved to Portland) I have not been able to get into wheel. I just haven't felt like I've had the strength. In fact, I even tried it in class Tuesday night and it was a no-go. But yesterday, there it was, easy as pie. I felt so light, and it was so effortless! It's a beautiful thing when that happens. I hung out there for a good while. Jill said, "Come on down when you're ready", and I stayed for 5 or so more breaths, just feeling it. I loved it. Today I feel so strong and I can't wait until my next hot yoga class.

I am out of coffee. Not cute. I went to Whole Foods tonight to buy more and they had closed 30 minutes earlier. I thought to myself "Ain't that a mother ______". You fill in the blank.

After my failed attempt to buy coffee, I walked over to Powell's and looked at some books, and then I went to say hi to Lauren. She was working at Boxxes. Then I came home, and here I am now.

Simon has been so restless recently. Annoying, even. I think he is sick of his diet.

I am done.

xoxo-

T

it's cold, y'all!

Keith's FreeBox episode!

long day

I am feeling better today. I had a nice long talk with Julie Kirkpatrick from Jivamukti Yoga School in New York last night about yoga, veganism, Arlene, Portland, and life in general. I told her to check out Yoga Pearl and I am crossing my fingers and toes that she can come here and lead a workshop.

I had a long day today, but it wasn't bad. I taught my early morning yoga class, then I came home and slept until noon, and then I worked at Gap from 1:45-9. I wish I had worn my Danskos because my feet and legs are tired and hurting! I did legs up the wall when I came home for about 10 minutes and I'm already feeling lighter. It's good to reverse the blood flow with a gentle inversion after a long day on the feet.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and Keith and I are taking Jill's Thanksgiving hot yoga class at CorePower Yoga. I am so happy that he is going with me! It will be his first hot yoga class ever and I am hoping that he likes it.

I will miss my family very much tomorrow. I am sure I will be sleeping as they are enjoying their Thanksgiving brunch. Oh, how I wish I could be there!

Dana was so sweet to me on the phone last night when I called her and told her I'd spent the whole day crying about turkeys. She didn't laugh at me or tell me I was stupid or silly. It's nice to have friends like that.

I saw on Perez Hilton's website that a 45 year old creeper bit a 17 year old girl on the neck in a theater during New Moon! Some people are just nuts.

I think I am going to go enjoy an apple with peanut butter in my bed while watching an episode of Sex and the City. Sounds like heaven right now...

xoxo-

T

still sad

I am really sad. My soul is hurting. My heart is crying.

sad

I have a heavy heart today. I am sad for the 300 million turkeys being raised and killed just for human consumption. I am truly sad and disheartened by the general lack of concern and compassion for these animals. Some people make jokes and think it's funny, but it's not. It's not funny to tease or taunt me because I choose to care. It's not funny that turkeys are injected with hormones to make them grow faster and larger and you put that in your body. It's not funny that turkeys throats are slit while they are still conscious, or that they live in deplorable conditions where they stand in their own urine and feces and are too crowded to even flap their wings. And I am sad to live in a world where all of this is ignored, or even worse, acceptable.

Be Thankful.

<3

crisp

I love a cold, sunny day. Feels so clean and fresh. This day has been quite productive so far. I woke up and did laundry and cleaned the bathroom. I had been slacking recently on cleaning, but I hate it when my apartment isn't sparkling. So this morning, when the cleaning bug bit me, I couldn't have been more happy.

I am currently listening to Death Cab For Cutie's first album and I am loving it to pieces. Their new music is good, but their older stuff is simply amazing. I will be downloading some of it soon to play in my classes.

I have a great desire to go forward with my yoga teacher training. I need to retrain Level 4, Anatomy and Alignment, and also take Yoga Therapy. I would love to do all three of those next year, but I know that I am not in a place right now where that is financially possible. I am hoping to do A&A and either Level 4 or Yoga Therapy. Realistically, I can probably complete my 500 hours (two 10 day intensives included) in 2012, and that's okay. It's more than okay, it's great. I didn't even being my 200 hour journey until the middle of 2008.

Tonight I am working from 3-9, and tomorrow morning I am teaching yoga at 8:30 at the new club. After yoga (and a workout), I am off for the rest of the day!

Keith and I rented The Ugly Truth from the red box last night and it is not so good. I do not recommend that you see it.

I am happy to report that I have cut back on my coffee intake. One to two cups in the morning is cutting it these days, and some days I don't have any at all. Yay! I am back to enjoying coffee like a normal person. I've also been drinking water like crazy, and that makes me happy.

I wish I had a two bedroom apartment so I could have a guest bedroom. It would make it so much more pleasant to have guests. I have been thinking recently that I might like to move to Southeast Portland, but I really love my neighborhood. I can walk to both of my jobs, and I am smack dab in the middle of all the gyms where I teach. Maybe we can find a two bedroom apartment somewhere near our current apartment. That would be great! And I imagine astronomically expensive as well!

I think I am done blogging for now.

xoxo-

T

some stuff

About Me:

I like coffee. I say that first because I am currently sipping on some. I enjoy yoga and fitness in general. I love fashion. I adore my animal, Simon. I like to break the mold. I like to live in the now. I love to travel. If I could take a year off and travel the world, I would. I might even take longer. I am spontaneous. I am not a big lover of jewelry. I prefer bracelets and rings to necklaces and earrings, and I rarely change my jewelry. Swatch on my left wrist, bean ring and my great great aunt's wedding rings on my right hand. I enjoy my life on the west coast and feel as if I am where I was meant to be. With that said, I am in awe of myself for actually moving 3,000 miles away after talking about it for five years. My original plan was to move to San Diego, but I landed in Portland and think this is where I belong. I am passionate. I don't have a college degree but I have over 200 hours of Yoga Alliance approved training and I use it every day. Autumn is my favorite season. I do not eat meat and I have strong feelings and opinions as to why you shouldn't, either. I love social networking. I think the book "Stuff White People Like" was written about me. I feel better when I am wearing a great outfit. I think fast. I teach yoga from my heart, I never plan my classes in advance. I miss my mom on a regular basis. I'm becoming a beer snob. I am more into celebrity gossip than I'd like to be. I have very fond memories of Christmas Eve with my family over the years. I am tremendously grateful for my friendship with Erica and the memories we have of morning coffee at Crossroads and shopping at the South of the James Farmers Market. I still watch Sex and the City reruns and don't see myself stopping anytime soon. I remember birthdays and still believe in sending cards. I have a thing for UFC Fighters and violent Tarantino films. Ahimsa, what? I have no idea what my life will be like in five years (or one, for that matter) and I love that.

Favorite Music:

Let me preface this by saying that I love music. However, I am not one of those folks who thinks you have to know and like every song an artist has ever made in order to call yourself a fan. In fact, 'Favorite Songs' may be a more accurate category for me. As much as I love Nine Inch Nails, I could not tell you much about them (as far as album names and when they came out). "Music snobs" bug me. For the most part, I like anything I can listen to with excessive loudness. Britney Spears, Janes Addiction, Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson have always been at the top of my music list. I also love to listen to Death Cab For Cutie on a perfect fall day while wearing a scarf. Kings of Leon remind me of Erica and I listening to 'Sex on Fire' on repeat in September of 2008. TV on the Radio reminds me of the perfect experience I had at the Sasquatch Music Festival in May 2009. Beautiful scenery and amazing music! Jane's Addiction reminds me of driving around in San Diego on my very first trip to the west coast in 2004. I will never forget being thisclose to Perry Farrell and hearing him confuse the Columbia River Gorge with Seattle, and falling in love with Dave Navarro, and watching people snort cocaine out of tin foil as I was about to pass out from dehydration and lack of food. I love the sound of Devotchka because for some reason it reminds me of the desert. U2 and Pink Floyd are great, and I remember my parents taking me to U2 and Pink Floyd light shows at the Imax dome in Richmond when I was a kid and I hated it. Now I wish I could go back in time and love it! Every time I hear Cake, I think of driving around Los Angeles aimlessly. I can't hear "Johnny" by System of A Down without thinking of Cristena. Taylor Swift is a new favorite of mine, partly because every song of hers reminds me of Cora. I can like Led Zeppelin. Santigold is good. Modest Mouse is in my top 5. There's a song by Helio Sequence that I really love. I like Young Jeezy, his music reminds me of DC for some reason. I like reggae music, but no artist in particular. Bluegrass is good. I like certain songs by George Strait, and Dixieland Delight by Alabama is on my ipod right now. Lady Gaga. Enough said. "Blinded by the Light" will forever remind me of Cindy and Stormy, even though I can't really say that I like the song. I will never hear Britney's "Circus" album without being reminded of my cross country trip with Sarah. That, and Stanky Legg. Whatever happened to that song, anyway? I love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I first heard "Gold Lion" in San Diego four or five years ago, and "Runaway" is now floating my boat. My heart holds a space for "Such Great Heights" by Death Cab for Cutie. If that song comes on on a sunny fall day while I am wearing a scarf, it's over. Krishna Das and Jai Uttal remind me of practicing yoga in the tiny carpeted lamp-lit room at American Family with Iffet. "Om Namo Bhagavate" by Deva Premal was playing when I made my official decision to move to Portland, so I will always love that song. Donna DeLory's "Sanctuary" album reminds me of trips to Williamsburg with Iffet and her girls. I am sure there's lots of great music I left out of this paragraph, but I think you get the gist of things. I love music, the louder the better. Thank you, Mom and Daddy.

Favorite Movies:

Erin Brockovich. Garden State. Kill Bill 1&2. True Romance. Pulp Fiction. Do you see a pattern here? Twilight, I can't help it. Bad acting and the dialogue is even worse. A League of Their Own, because I could not stop watching this movie when I was younger. How The Grinch Stole Christmas and the Charlie Brown holiday movies are classics. Sex and The City Movie. Borat was brilliant. Up. Knocked Up. The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Favorite TV:

I don't have cable and haven't for years (except for when Sarah and I lived together). Many of the shows I like have long been cancelled. I have to say that Sex and the City is my all time favorite. The OC. Gilmore Girls. Entourage. Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Girls Next Door. Desperate Housewives. The few times I've seen My Name Is Earl, I liked it. Same goes for Two and a Half Men.

To Be Continued... maybe.

xoxo-

T

excitement

I am excited today! I have the day off, which is nice. But I have to clean and do laundry. I also have to go to the library to return a book. I was thinking of checking out Sarah Palin's new book, but after seeing her on Oprah yesterday I really don't want to anymore. I decided to watch it because I thought, "Maybe I will like her better now that she isn't running for VP", but I didn't. Anyway, back to why I'm excited! Tonight Alex and I are going out for gelato at this cute little place in the Pearl District, and December 7 Shannon is having a game night at her house with some of the girls from work and their mens! I don't know if Keith can go or not, but I am all about the game nights, so I will be there no matter what.

I am teaching four yoga classes this week. Spreadin' love and makin' money! Yeah!

I had some seriously rude customers at the Gap on Sunday. Totally pissed me off! Don't you ever wish you could just say what was really on your mind? "Calm down, bitch. It's just a sweater."

Lauren picked me up from work on Sunday night and we went to The Commodore for drinks, which is right by my apartment. The man beside us asked if we were a couple. Why do people think that is appropriate?

I am excited because I am mailing holiday cards this year to promote peace, love and joy in the lives of our families and friends. Did that sound corny? I meant it to.

Lady Gaga is really just rocking my world right now. I can not get enough! As Alex said, "Bad Romance changes everything."

Today I will be going to the gym and going to Target to get my holiday cards. I am not sure why I am saying 'holiday'. I think everyone we know celebrates Christmas. But actually, I say holiday because that's what we call it at Gap.

Tami: I want to cut my bangs.

Bill: I'm having a bang moment. And bangs are big for holiday.

Tami: Yeah, but who cuts their hair just for holiday?

Bill:

Oh yes, and I think I will get an oil change today, too. Maintaining a vehicle is a bitch.

xoxo-

T

tattoos

I can't wait to get more.

brrr...

So I am sitting here at work and it is 66 degrees. Inside. I have been so freezing cold all day. My coworker said to me that while I looked cute, I needed to wear warmer clothes. Excuse me, but I am wearing a cami and two long sleeved t-shirts. Why should I have to dress warmer? My nose is so cold I feel like it could fall off, same for my poor little phalanges.

I feel a little sick. I am thinking it may be due to caffeine overload. Today I've had three cups of coffee (my style, you know what that means) and four shots of espresso. Yes, four. My coworker said that could kill me. Maybe so, but so can cigarettes and a plethora of other things. I've been up and on the go since 5. That much caffeine was a necessity.

Tomorrow I am teaching yoga at 7 in the morning and doing some more cardio afterward. Go me!

I am sick of working at this store. Not this company, but this store specifically. It is "in town", but it is on the other side of the river and it takes 20-30 minutes to get here. I also clash a little with my coworker at times. Drives me nuts. I am moving to another store within walking distance of my apartment after Thanksgiving. For that, I am thankful.

Alex invited me out this weekend. A concert tonight, and dancing tomorrow night. Unfortunately, I have to say no to both. I am totally wiped after this week I've had. When did it become acceptable for 24 year olds to have to wake up at 5 in the morning to go to work?

I got a salmon colored super skinny belt at J Crew the other day. It was on sale. I'd been eying it since back in the summer, and it finally went on sale. My coworker says I am a "clothes horse". Good thing, otherwise I wouldn't have caught that belt when it went on sale. There was a silver one, too, but I refrained. Hope I don't regret that later.

I'm in a bit of a surly mood. Not sure why. Maybe it's because I have been freezing my backside off all day?

sleepy

Lady Gaga is really floating my boat right now. She is weird and I love it! I think she is crazy talented.

Last night I took melatonin a little before 8 and completely passed out! I woke up at 5 this morning and I was so tired. I really don't like taking melatonin because it does seem to have that effect on me. But I haven't been sleeping all that well recently. Teaching yoga while that sleepy was a bit tricky! But I think my class went well anyway. I did 30 minutes of cardio after class and it felt great. Now I'm having coffee and breakfast and enjoying some down time before I go to work.

Have a wonderful day!

xoxo-

T

yes.

Today was lovely. I worked from 7-11:30 and then Keith and I spent the rest of the day together. I also went to the gym again. Yay! I feel so relaxed and refreshed.

ahh...

So tonight was the first night of my Wednesday night yoga class. I'd taught that class once before, but now it's officially mine. I really wish my gym would differentiate between power yoga, gentle yoga, beginner yoga, intermediate yoga, etc. Tonight I did lots of hard, fast vinyasa and I don't think some of the students were loving it. Maybe I will just continue with that style and eventually people will come to know that class as 'power yoga'. Yes. I think that is what I will do.

I did 30 minutes of cardio before class tonight and I am whipped. I think I shall sleep well tonight. Here's hoping...

what I love...

So at the Gap we have these signs that say "WHAT WE LOVE RIGHT NOW... __________" Right now it's "a white shirt" and "a pea coat in a bright, bold color". Well, WHAT I LOVE RIGHT NOW... a skinny belt in a fun color! How about THAT, Gap?!

my hope...

...is that people see me as a peaceful, calming and loving energy. I hope that I am able to inspire others in a way that so many others have inspired me.

I'm back!

Hello, friends. After a long hiatus, I now intend to get back into blogging regularly. It's been almost a month! Unacceptable. I don't even know where to start.

Erica and Sarah's visit to Portland was wonderful. We had a lovely time and did almost everything I wanted us to do. Portland has some of the best shopping ever, so Erica and I did a lot of that! Lots of Carytown-esque areas. Friday night, the three of us went to Deschutes Brewery and split a bottle of cider. We were going to split a second bottle and possibly even a third, but unfortunately we snagged up the last bottle. So that was that. Saturday night we went out to dinner and then to Boxxes for dancing. So fun! Oh yes, and on the way to Boxxes we stopped at CC Slaughters and danced there, too. I love to dance. This is a fairly new development. The security person working the door at Boxxes asked me not to drink anymore because apparently I fell in the door or something, and I ended up talking to her for about thirty minutes. We exchanged phone numbers and we are now friends! She is Lauren. I will talk more about her later in this blog. Erica and Sarah decided they'd had enough, so they came home and I met Keith at The Commodore. Then we came home and skyped with Pete and Adam in Salt Lake City. Great fun! Sunday, the girls and I got a late start to our day but eventually made our way out to the Oregon Coast. So beautiful. We went to Cannon Beach and Indian Beach. Indian Beach is where the La Push scene in Twilight was filmed. The coast is so beautiful I can't stand it! I love it there. It's about two hours away, but totally worth the drive. All in all, their visit was perfect. I loved having them here, and I can't wait for them both to come back again! I am hoping to go visit Erica in Hawaii maybe this February. I've never been there, and I have to say that I am not keen on flying over the ocean. But oh well. I guess I'm not too keen on flying over land either, but I do it anyway!

The next big thing was my birthday. I had gotten two cards in the mail from Mom and Cindy and I was going to wait to open them until my actual birthday, but I got some bad news from Keith about Cindy the Tuesday night before it and I decided I wanted to open her card immediately, so I did. A twenty dollar bill fell out, along with about 6 pictures we had taken of ourselves on my last visit to Virginia. I cried. And cried. And cried. This went on for about an hour or so, then I framed my favorite one and put it next to my bed and I went to sleep. I was so sad, but it felt good to let my emotions out like that. All I wanted to do that night was to lay in the big King sized bed with a million pillows next to my Cindy and Stormy like we used to do. Talking, laughing and cuddling. I wouldn't trade any of my memories with those two for anything in this world. They feel more like family to me than some of my actual family! Come to think of it, some of my sister in-law's family feels more like family to me than my actual family as well, but that's another story for another day, I guess.

Back to my birthday. I had to do a shipment at Gap in the morning, and I used the $20 Cindy gave me to buy a winter white sweater and a gold patent belt! I knew she would want me to spend the money on something I wanted rather than a bill! One my way home from Gap, I stopped by the library to pick up a book I had on hold (L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad. She's a shitty writer, but I read the whole thing anyway), and then I came home and took a nap with Simon. Then I woke up, and went to take my free birthday class at Corepower Yoga with Jill! It was awesome. I felt overwhelmed with gratitude while I was in that class. Thankful that I'd met Jill (I took her class before I even moved here), and thankful to be practicing yoga in a hot room with 20 something other yogis on my lovely Jade mat. It felt so good. I wish I could afford to go there all the time, but it's quite pricy. I love hot vinyasa yoga. I'd do it every day if I could! I ended up walking to the studio, which took about thirty minutes. It was a grey and drizzly day, and I didn't wear my iPod. It was a nice walk, and I enjoyed taking in the sights and sounds I don't normally pay attention to when I wear my iPod. Keith picked me up from the studio after class so I didn't have to walk home. I think I would have gotten sick for sure if I'd walked! I was all hot and super sweaty and it was cold outside. Keith was so cute, he even came inside the studio and waited for me. When we got home, I took a shower and got ready to go out for a birthday surprise. Keith surprised me with a pink hat I'd been coveting from Free People, which made me really excited, and then he took me to Henry's Tavern. I love this bar! They literally have like a hundred beers on tap and right now they have Elysian Night Owl, which is a pumpkin beer! Oh yes, you better believe I had some. Keith had called Thomas, Alex, and Lauren and invited them to come out. Thomas and Alex did, but Lauren couldn't come because she had to work. But that's okay because she and I actually went to Henry's a couple nights before my birthday to celebrate! Ben, Stacey and Liz were also in attendance. I had to teach my early morning yoga class the next day, so it was a tame and early night, but it was fantastic nonetheless. And I wore my new winter white sweater with the gold patent belt around my waist :)

Next was Halloween. I was Elle Driver from Kill Bill. I went out with Alex and we had a great time. I drank too much and woke up with a hangover the next day. I could write so much more about this night, but my soul does not really want to write anymore!

I am chatting with the lovely Lynne Watson on facebook right now! Oh, how I miss her!

I have so much more to write, but I will do it later when I feel like it! Have a peaceful day!

xoxo-

T

Hello

Its been a while since I've blogged. For this, I am sorry. Here's a quick update: I am happy.

xoxo-
T
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

house guests!

I am so excited! Erica is en route to Portland as I type this! I called her yesterday on my way to work just to chat, and she said she had been looking at flights to Portland, and a couple hours later she bought one for this morning! What a random and fantastic surprise! I am so glad it worked out! And Sarah will be here Thursday night. We are going to have so much fun. I already have some things planned. Tomorrow night I think Erica and I will go to "Burger, beer and movie night" at the Mission Theater (as long as she doesn't mind seeing The Hangover). Thursday we don't have any plans, Friday I have to teach my early morning class and work from 11-7, and I don't know what we will do at night. I had planned for us to go on the Portland Underground tour, but it was already sold out today when I went to make reservations! Saturday will be super fun because we are going to Virgo/Pisces for dinner and drinks, and then I think we will go dancing with Alex at Boxxes. Sunday we are going to spend the day at the coast.

Today I washed all of our clothes, sheets, towels and blankets so everything is fresh and clean for my guests! I can't wait until they are both here!

virginia

I want to be in Virginia right now! I want to be with Ellie and go to Busch Gardens with Leigh, Cora and Hazel! And Erica too, but she lives in Hawaii now! Ahhh, I love Howl-o-scream! I so want to be there right now.

news

This weekend has been pretty smooth and productive so far. Yesterday I taught my early morning yoga class and had four people who were brand new to yoga. That is a lot to have in one class! But I was happy to have them, and glad that their first experience was with me! I told my class that we had four new students and that we were going to welcome them and move at a slower pace in their honor. The newbies were grateful for that! They all said they really liked it and could not wait to come back. Sometimes teaching a mixed level class can be so challenging. I tried not to do too many chaturangas because I didn't want to spend the whole class going over them, but at the same time the new folks were doing them completely wrong. "Elbows in" meant nothing to them. I also tried to give the option to flow through the half series or hang out in down dog, and everyone took the half series option. So I just decided to break the class down and make it really basic. I think even my regulars enjoyed it. I have noticed that the only time when people actually take the time to rest in down dog or childs pose rather than flow is when I am really kicking their asses. So oftentimes, that's exactly what I do. I subbed a class the other night at the new club and the teacher told me that he taught a very challenging class and the students had come to expect it, so I really gave it to them. Generally speaking, I don't really teach any poses that are especially challenging during "hard" classes, I just do a lot of vinyasa to get people's heart rates up and make them sweat. A lot. And they love me for it. And I love them for coming back ;)

So after class, I came home and tried to squeeze in a tiny nap, but my body seemed to be fighting sleep for some reason. I was tired at work all day, but it was a good day nonetheless. Very busy at work! I love working on Hawthorne. It's always busy and I get to do a lot of people watching, too. When I got home, Keith was out filming scenes for The Corners and I did two loads of laundry and did a lot of grocery shopping!

This morning I woke up at about 9, took a shower and made a really yummy bagel sandwich. I have gotten out of the habit of making sure to include lots of fruits and vegetables in my daily diet, so this morning I had a whole wheat bagel with cream cheese, tomato, cucumer and plenty of spinach, along with a glass of orange juice. So yummy! Then I had some pear yogurt once I got to work. I am trying to make myself eat yogurt. It's pretty good for you, I guess. And my only aversion to it is that it's an animal product. Then the Voodoo Doughnuts truck parked right in front of my store and starting screaming from a megaphone about dollar doughnuts. Dammit! Suzy and I had never had Voodoo before and it's a Portland staple, so we each got one. Mine was a plain doughnut topped with peanut butter and oreo crumbs. I savored it and made it last for about three hours. Suzy ate hers really fast and got a sugar rush and then crashed! She had also eaten about 6 oreos before the truck came though! They were selling a dozen for only $5, and they're doughuts are huge and beat Krispy Kreme to shit. So that was a major bright spot in my day! Oh and I also had some green chai tea that was delicious as well. And a customer told me that Burgerville has veggie burgers and right now they have pumpkin shakes. Guess what I'm having for lunch tomorrow?

So I have some good news and some rather sad news as well. I will give you the sad news first. I talked to Carley yesterday morning (like normal) and she told me that Ken's father passed away. Ken was my boss at SyCom. He and his father were very close and from what I gathered, his death was unexpected. I am very sad for him. So I bought him a really nice card at Freddy's last night, and damn if they didn't forget to put it in my bag! So I have to go back tonight to get another one (for free, of course) because it was $4 and Ken is worth it. I hope it will give him some solace in the fact that someone on the west coast is thinking of him!

And now for the good news. Drum roll, please.........
My good friends, and favorite couple, Chuck and Cora are going to be having a baby in May! They are going to be such wonderful and loving parents! I am crossing my fingers now that I will be able to come home for her baby shower. As people.com frequently says, "The couple are thrilled." And so am I!

I'm finished blogging for now. Have a lovely evening :)

xoxo-
T

hi

I have been so lethargic recently! All I wanted to do today was sleep, but I picked up an extra shift at work, and an extra yoga class tonight! Gotta make that money. But it sure was hard to get out of bed this morning!

Ellie was born on Monday. She is so perfect and so cute from what I can see in pictures! I am so sad that I can't be there to pinch her sweet cheeks.

I just looked at Thomas' facebook pictures from his recent trip to Coos Bay. It was so pretty! I need to go there.

Sarah will be here in a little over a week. I can't wait! We are going to eat Mexican food and drink good wine and who knows what else? I am excited!

Gotta go!

xoxo-
T

IMG00694.jpg

Portland at night with the max in the background. The picture is in black an white. Unfortunately you can't really see that the entire street is lined with trees adorned white lights.
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happy birthdays

Greetings from World Cup Coffee & Tea. Again. I liked this place so much I decided to come back today! I'm on my third cup of coffee and feeling good! Also enjoying a raspberry cream cheese muffin, which is good but the cream cheese is a little too sweet for my early morning liking.

Last night Alex and I went to an art opening at a lovely gallery, had some wine and spent a while trying to figure out if it was hair or water we were looking at. Or was it both? We never could figure it out. I like to stare at art and interpret it. Or at least try to interpret it! I liked being surrounded by so many "arty" folks. It was inspiring, but at the same time it reminded me of what I will never be artistically! I envy artists. There are so many here in Portland!

Today is Dana's birthday. She is special to me in a way that I can not even put into words. Being on my "yoga journey" with her has been the greatest gift!

And another special birthday shout-out to Amy. She is 24 today!

I taught yoga this morning at 5:45 and decided not to go back to sleep after class. I usually do, but I am trying to get away from that. 5:00 in the morning is early, y'all! I have to work from 11-7 today and I am finding myself wanting a 4th cup of coffee. They say this cup is 8 ounces, but by looking at it I would swear that it was less.

Today was a good day, minus all the congestion. I really liked world cup this morning. I wish I could go there every morning!

I drove to centralia, washington to meet DJ for lunch and that was super fun. Centralia was a small and depressing town that looked like it was home to many meth heads. So needless to say, I am thrilled to be home in portland! The drive up there is really boring and not very pretty.

Tonight I am supposed to be going to some sort of art show with alex in old town. Should be fun, although I will really be ready for bed when I get home! I'm teaching early tomorrow morning and then working 11 to 7. Long day ahead!

I figured out how to blog from my blackerry, so look for lots more small and random posts! Yay!

I got some pumpkin socks in the mail from my mom today. What a treat!

I hope everyone had a lovely first day of my favorite month. Apparently some folks aren't drinking this month in honor of "sober october"? Hmm... okay.
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happy october

Happy October! It's a beautiful autumn day here in Portland and I am sitting in a coffee shop with Keith. He is reading the paper and I am drinking coffee. I gave it up for a while (about a week), but then I decided to hell with that decision. I love coffee, why would I give it up?! This coffee shop is great. It's called World Cup Coffee & Tea (totally reminds me of the World Cup we used to have in Richmond on Robinson) and they have cheap and tasty coffee. It's only $1.25 for an 8 oz cup, and if you get it "for here" you get a free refill, and the second one is only a quarter. You just can't beat that. Plus, they have free internet. So I got here 30 minutes or so before Keith and I got my first cup. When I went back for my refill (because you KNOW I can't have just one cup), the guy said, "Do you have a little cold or something?" I have no idea what is going on with me! I thought it was a cold, but now I think it may be allergies. Whatever, that's beside the point. He gave me my cup and I brought it back to my table and had a sip. Something was amiss. I took it back and said, "Can I have dark roast? I think you have me medium." He said, "Wow, I think you know your coffee! That is medium!" I think Portland has turned me into a coffee whore. I was never this way before I moved here!

So let me just give you a little reasoning as to why I love the month of October. First of all, I love the weather. It's perfect! The chill in the air is so fantastic. And I love to layer up. Scarves and sweaters and long sleeved shirts are the best. I also love the colors. Last October, as I was flying into PDX, the first thing I noticed was the colors of the trees. So beautiful! And pumpkins. Oh, pumpkins! I just love them. Pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie, pumpkin everything. Except for pumpkin coffee. I like my coffee black. And pretty soon I will have another reason to like October- Ellie's birthday! Jenn is going to be induced on Monday the 5th. Oh yes, and my birthday is in October as well. Along with Amy, Erica, Cora, Bekah, Julia and Shannon too I think.

My old friend DJ from Bottoms Up is in Seattle right now for a wedding. He moved to Los Angeles a couple of years ago. We are going to try to meet in Centralia today for lunch. I miss him!

I got an email this morning from CorePower Yoga informing me that I get to take a class for free on my birthday. I checked the schedule online and my favorite Jilly is teaching two classes that day! I am so excited.

I have been working on this blog for like an hour. I have been so distracted! So I think I will be done now.

howdy

So I had to work at Gap at 5 this morning. Sucked! But afterwards I took Jill's yoga class and it was amazing.

Sunday I spent the day with Alex. After my morning yoga class, we went to the Sunday Market and then to Hotlips where we got drunk at 2:30 in the afternoon and then we passed out in a park in the swanky Pearl District for an unknown period of time. It was nice, but I hate drinking during the day. Makes me feel ridiculous. We fell asleep in a park where couples were getting their engagement photos taken, for Pete's sake. (Who is Pete, and why did I capitalize his name?)

And yes, those are my luscious lips you're seeing.

shortie

I woke up at 6:10 this morning and went to yoga at 7 only to be greatly disappointed by this teacher and her style. What a bummer! I hate when that happens. I feel like I might have gotten a great workout had I been 75.

I had my green and white fusion tea this morning instead of coffee. I want coffee, but I have to cut it completely for now until I can teach myself to enjoy it in moderation. We'll see how long this lasts...

Mount Hood and Mount Saint Helens were so beautiful this morning. The glimpse I got of them while driving up the 405 was completely worth waking up for. The way the sun comes up behind them is just phenomenal.

Today I am working 10 to 6. Let's hope this goes by quickly! Although I don't know why I am in a rush to get home. All I have waiting for me is about three loads of laundry. Ugh! I hate chores.

I think if I'd had a cup of coffee this blog would be much more colorful.

Have a beautiful day.

xoxo-
T

update

Well hello there. I've been bad about blogging since we don't have the internet at home anymore. I meant to go to the library this week, but Keith and I both got so sick and I didn't leave the house for three days, except for one time to teach yoga. Yea, that was fun. After lots of rest and emergen-c, I am now feeling much better and so is Keith.

I've been having some amazing yoga practices recently. I think I am going to go to class at 7 tomorrow morning before work. Alex and I went to the 8 am class last Sunday and it was so great, so we will definitely be hitting that one up again.

My first niece, little Ellie Grace, will be born in the next week or two. I love living on the west coast but right now I am sad I won't be there for her birth and to get to know her in her first couple months of life. I will be with her in spirit though. I love her so much already!

Today I had chai tea, minus the soy milk. I am going to stop by Trader Joe's on my way home from work and get some more tea. Right now all I have is green and white fusion tea. It's pretty scrumptious but I think I might like something else better. I haven't had any coffee for like three days. I think I am officially going to try to replace coffee with tea. At least for a week or something.

I love Modest Mouse. They just played three nights in a row at The Crystal Ballroom, which is only about four blocks from my house, and I didn't get to go to any of them! I was so bummed. They really are one of my favorite bands.

I wish more of my friends would come visit me here in this lovely city I now call home. Sarah's coming in a little over two weeks. Can't wait!

I went with Keith last night to shoot some scenes for The Corners. It was neat to see him in action. And apparently you can pour water on the engine of a car if it's off to create a steaming effect?

Ugh. My nose is runny, yet stuffy at the same time.

Hey you, get off of my cloud.

yo

Sorry for my lack of recent bloggage. I haven't had access to the internet and probably won't for quite some time. I miss blog-a-logging. A lot.

Sarah will be here in about three weeks and that's exciting. I'm ready for the weather to change. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm getting really sick of warm and sunny. It's been this way all summer and I'm ready for the change!

I was cranky today. I woke up at 7 to take a yoga class this morning and I walked there and back in the rain. The class completely sucked. Definitely won't be going back to that teacher. Then I asked Keith to make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to take with me to work for lunch and he put it on white bread and I got pissed off. Over a sandwich! What a grump. Then a woman came into my store with her two little girls and let them run amok and that pissed me off too. Today just really hasn't been a great day for me. But I guess it hasn't been horrible either. Oh well. It's almost over now.

I think I want to be a barista. Wouldn't that be fun? I love coffee and it makes me happy. I think I'd like to make it for people for a living. Plus I always like the music they play in coffee shops.

I have to end this blog because I am at work and I am closing in 5 minutes. I'd love to stay and chat but I'd also like to go home. Have a good night.

Yours Truly,
T

hello

Greetings from the Multnomah County Library!

Here I sit, in the library, writing my first blog in over a week. I've been finding myself wanting to blog so much recently, but there's been an issue with the internet at home so I haven't been able to.

My trip home to Virginia was really great! I got to see almost everyone I wanted to see, and I got lots of great pictures.

Today was River's first day of kindergarten and Hunter's first day of middle school. I wonder how that went for them? I bet they were both really cute, and I bet little Mason was feeling very sad and left out!

Keith and I went to the Mission Theater last night and saw the best movie ever. We saw Up, and it was a Disney movie. I'm not going to say anything else besides it made me laugh and it made me cry and you really should go see it.

This library is neat. I think I will get a library card before I leave.

This is my second day off in a row and I have to say that I am very much enjoying it. It has been about two months since I had two days in a row off. Yesterday way my day of relaxation. Keith and I walked up 23rd and went in some shops and then we went to see Up, then I came home and fell asleep at 8:00 while reading Yoga Journal. I slept for 13 hours! I guess I needed the rest? This morning I woke up and did three loads of laundry and then I ran a couple errands. I caught a glimpse of Mt. Hood that stopped me dead in my tracks. Literally! I was standing almost on the corner of 21st and Burnside in front of Fred Meyer, and there it was. Beautiful, snow-covered monster of a mountain that it is! I could not believe it. It's a pretty clear day, but I have never seen it from right there. When I was shopping in Williamsburg with my mom, we were in Esprit and I was talking to the sales associate and he got all offended because I said the mountains on the east coast were more like hills compared to the mountains out west. He was like, "Well, I climb them, so I know they are huge mountains." You know, I have climbed them on many occasions too, buddy! I wasn't saying it was easy to climb them, hike them or bike them, I was only saying that the mountains out west are far larger than anything I've ever seen back east. We can see Mt. Hood from Portland and it's over 100 miles away. That is a damn huge mountain. That is like being in Richmond and being able to see Wintergreen (the resort, I don't know the name of the mountain. Maybe it's just called Wintergreen?). Anyway, he got all offended. Whatever.

Saturday I worked at the Clogs n More store on NW 23rd. I like that location because it's less than a mile from my apartment and that street is really cool. It reminds me of a bigger Carytown. Some people call it 'trendy third". Anyway, I was working there on Saturday and a totally nutty woman came in yelling and Shannon and me asking where Harrison Ford was, and very passionately screaming about how he murdered her brother in prison. She said that Harrison Ford then made $25 million off of the murder was insistent that Shannon and I knew where he was? "Does he live on the avenue? He is in a red house down the street and you know exactly where he is!" Shannon used to work with mentally disabled people, so she knew how to handle the situation. She started walking toward the woman and kind of hustled her out the door, all the while the woman was steadily screaming about Harrison Ford and then told her to tell her dad, Robert Redford, hello for her. We told Ahmed about it and he said he sometimes thought people like that led pretty good lives because they really had no idea what was going on around them. She was crazy. With a capital C. The whole situation really left me wondering how I would handle a situation like that if I were alone. At the Streets of Tanasbourne location, we can call security and say, "I have a package for Nora" and security will come rushing over. I told Shannon if I had been alone and at the Tanasbourne location I would have had a package for Nora!

It's a beautiful day in Portland! I am also listening to TV on the Radio on my headphones. I love this band! Check them out if you don't already know who they are. Keith and I saw them at the Sasquatch Festival.

I love living out west! I don't really care where I am out here, as long as I'm still here. I don't know what it is, I really just love it. It's beautiful. I can't say for sure, but I don't think I will ever move back to the east coast unless I really have to. I love my family and friends and I had a great time visiting, but I love it here! It is quite doubtful that we will stay in Portland forever, though. Who knows where the wind will take us next? I guess that element of uncertainty would freak some folks out, but I love it! The only thing that would freak me out is feeling stuck. I felt that way in Virginia.

I really have to pee. I wonder where the bathroom is in this library?

Have you ever wondered who 'they' is? They say you are supposed to spend less than a third of your monthly income on mortgage, they say you are supposed to spend three months salary on an engagement ring. That has got to be two different groups of 'they' right?! Who the heck is 'they' anyway?!

I have now switched from TV on the Radio to Nine Inch Nails circa The Fragile. We saw them at Sasquatch too! I now love Jane's Addiction and Nine Inch Nails EVEN MORE than ever since I saw them live! That whole Sasquatch experience was awesome! Minus the sleeping in the back of the vdub part. But who cares?!

Sarah will be here in about a month. I wonder what we will do? I'm sure I will be working some. I work every Friday and Saturday at Clogs n More and I really can't take that time off because Shannon is going to Los Angeles to see her nephew. We will figure something out. I work 11-7, so we will at least have the mornings and nights. Whatever. We will have fun no matter what we do. I wish I would get more visitors out here!!

I'd love to blog more but I really have to pee!

xoxo,

T

ahhh...

My soul feels so refreshed. Here's a look at my trip so far in pictures.

beautiful day

Today was so great! The cookout was fantastic and I got to see lots of my favorite people. Lili said to me, "You are the only one I love who is not in my family." What a little sweet pea! Pictures to come. Stay tuned...

ugh

For a girl who rarely drinks, I definitely feel like I can put a few away. I am still drunk and feel horrible. And I woke up too late for a Hardee's butter biscuit. Ugghh.

jumping for joy is good for exercise

Music is good. I love Devotchka so much. Their Pandora station is so great! I feel like I have a little piece of Portland right here with me in my mom's living room. I didn't really discover this band until I lived in Portland. I'd obviously heard their music on the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack, but I didn't truly start listening to them until Portland. Me likey good music.

Tonight the whole family is going to dinner at Hondo's. I'm looking forward to drinking too much wine and getting ridiculous. My time in Virginia has been lovely so far. Yesterday my mom and I went to Williamsburg for a little shopping (although neither of us bought anything) and then we had dinner with Chuck, Cora and Leigh. It was so nice to see them again. They are such quality people. I just love them! And last night I spent the night with my precious boys. I think the image of River and Mason sitting at the table eating their peaches will forever be etched in my mind. They looked so sweet. I just wanted to watch them through the window for a little bit longer, but I was too excited so I just knocked on the door and pressed my face up against it! They got really excited and their facial expressions were perfect.

Today my mom and I picked Carley up and we had lunch with some SyCom girls. It was great to see them as well. I'm a lucky girl to have all these folks in my life who are interested in seeing me!

Tomorrow I am looking forward to my mom and dad's cookout, and then Sunday is Jenn's baby shower and then dinner with the Tillerys.

What a beautiful life it is.

xoxo,
T

questions

I just checked in for my flight. I feel nervous! What will it be like to see my family for the first time in 6 months? What will it feel like to sleep in my old bed? What will it feel like to go into my old office and eat at my old favorite restaurant? What if it doesn't feel like home anymore? What if it does? I don't know.

tidbit

Simon is fat. So Keith and I have decided to put him on a diet. He refuses to stop meowing. Poor little baby. He's cute but he can be so (in the words of my mom) BLASTED annoying!

I am leaving tomorrow morning after I teach my yoga class for Virginia. I can't wait! I wish I was going to have time to go to Busch Gardens! Maybe next summer?

lots to do and all over the place

I am going to Virginia in just a couple of days. I feel like I have so much to get done first! Since working three jobs doesn't allow me the luxury of a day off ever, I have to fit all these things in between shifts. I would like to get all of our laundry done and clean the apartment so I can come home to a clean apartment, although I realize by the time I come home Keith will have lived in the apartment for a whole week and there is likely to be laundry and film stuff everywhere. Ugh! Stresses me out. What to do, what to do? I also want to get my hair highlighted at the Aveda Institute and get my eyebrows waxed as well. And I have no idea what to pack. Working at the Gap has turned me into a fashion whore. I only want to take dresses and skirts home with me. It is hot in Virginia and I might have forgotten what that is like. I feel like dresses will be a nice option. I have a cute dress that I got the other day, but now I am thinking it would like much cuter if I belted it with a skinny belt. And then comes the shoes... which shoes do I take home? I used to only wear flip flops, but now I have a plethora of adorable sandals and mary janes and I am torn between what I should take with me and what I should leave behind. I don't have to take any personal items with me, including makeup because I can just wear my mom's, and so that makes me feel like I can pack more outfit choices. What I need to do is carefully plan my outfits by the day according to what I plan to do that day. So basically this blog is just me talking out loud. Or some variation of that. Oh! And let me just insert right here that I also have to go to the post office to pick up some unknown package I have received and I have to go to the DMV to register my car in the state of Oregon because my Virginia registration expires at the end of this month. So back to the clothes, because that is what really is important, right? Thursday my mom and I are going to Williamsburg to do a little shopping and then we are going down to Newport News to see the beloved Chuck and Cora. Cakora, if you will. I'm thinking something cute and casual. A dress and some shoes that slip off easily incase we try things on. (In case? Who am I kidding?!) So let's see... I have the eggplant dress, yellow dress, two-toned dress, denim skirt and I think that's all the dresses and skirts I have planned to bring with me so far. The yellow dress is reserved for dinner at Hondo's (I think). What a mess this blog is. I am writing exactly as my mind is thinking right now. Oh and I also have to think about what I am going to wear on the airplane as well. Do I want to be cozy and comfy, or do I want to be stylish and cute? Or do I want to shoot for somewhere in between? Do I want to paint my toenails or just be natural? Questions, questions, questions! So Thursday I do not know what I want to wear. Friday I am going to lunch with my mom, Carley, Whitney, Kim and Marie and then going to visit SyCom folks. I definitely think I want to wear a dress. I have a two-toned black and brown dress (more of an olive-y sandy brown) and that's the one I think would look better if I skinny-belted it. But last night I got to thinking, gold belt or silver belt? There's another dress I want that is just like it and it is white on top with the olive-y sandy color on the bottom. And that dress would go with the silver belt, no question. And then the eggplant strappy sundress would be good for either the baby shower or the cookout. And come to think of it, that might look nice belted as well. Gold or silver? My gut tells me gold, but I'd have to see it first. And should I bring my boyfriend jeans with me for a super casual day? I know I don't need to bring any yoga clothes because I left some behind for my mom. And of course I have to remember that I get a hefty discount at the Gap Outlet and maybe I could find some new things there as well. The only thing I am sure about at this point is that I am definitely over thinking this. So here is my itinerary as it stands (and I assume that you care only because you are reading my blog):

Wednesday: arrive in Richmond at 11:30 pm. I am teaching at 5:45 that morning in Portland and I am going to try to avoid napping on the plane (shouldn't be too hard) so I can throw myself into the east coast time zone. I am not going to do anything that night.

Thursday: coffee and yelling at the news with Daddy if I wake up early enough? Not sure what time he wakes up, that's worth looking into. Breakfast with mom at home. Shopping in Williamsburg and then a grabbing a bite with the Hites. Thursday night I think I will have mom drop me off at Tony and Jenn's so I can spend the night with them.

Friday: Tony will drop me off at mom's pretty early on his way to work. I will have coffee. Lunch with Carley, Kim, Whitney, Marie and mom at El Caporal, then a SyCom visit. After that we will visit Cindy and Stormy. From there we will go home and get ready for a big family dinner at Hondo's Steakhouse where I will get up and go to the bathroom when everyone's mutilated cow comes to the table and gets cut open and inspected by the server. Wine, salad, a baked potato and more wine for me, please. From there I will go downtown meet up with friends. Then I have to find a sober being to take me to Mechanicsville to meet up with Kelly for her birthday at Nacho Mama's, and another sober being to take me from there back to my mom's house. I am going to try not to drink too much so I can avoid vomiting in my mom's bathroom and also avoid feeling like crap the next day.

Saturday: I will have coffee. And then I am hoping to practice some yoga! Iffet mentioned that she was teaching, but I am kind of hoping Dana will be free so we can practice on our own in her yoga room. Then I will go back to my mom's for the cookout, which I assume will last for a good while. From there I will go spend the night at Tony and Jenn's with Hunter, River, Mason, Tonya and Matt. Family sleepover! It will be so much fun.

Sunday: COFFEE?!?! I don't know. They don't have coffee shops in New Kent and I doubt there is a coffee maker in the Jennings household. What will I do? Jenn's baby shower is this day. It will be a lovely day to honor the wonderful Jenn and the new little Ellie-baby. Dress, for sure. Something feminine and perhaps even frilly. Then dinner at Strawberry Street Cafe with the Tillerys! I don't know where I will sleep that night. Probably at my mom's so I can sleep in a little.

Monday: I will have coffee. And I hope to spend the day with my nephews. We will see. I also would like to squeeze in some QT with Cristena. I am going to leave this day kind of open so that whatever happens can happen.

Tuesday: I will have coffee. My flight leaves for PDX at 4:51 pm. I guess I will get to the airport around 4? I don't have a clue what I will do this day. Something tells me I will see Cindy and Stormy.

So that is that. I know I didn't specifically mention any time with my friends, but that would be Friday night, and my close friends are all invited to my mom's house for the cookout on Saturday. So that is when I will see them!

Last night I was at work (Gap) and this guy came in and I asked him if I could help him find anything and he turned to look at me, gave me this creepy blank stare with his red eyes and said very coldly, "NO." "Well, okay then" I replied, before letting out a laugh. Another customer who heard the transaction and who was about 6'4", wearing jorts and pushing a stroller with what appeared to be a 5 year old child in it turned to me and gave me this hilarious look and I laughed even more. Something about this guy reminded me of my brother for some reason. He said, "Whoa! That guy was probably a serial killer or something." Creepy man, I tell you. I got on my walkie (we wear headsets that I call 'Britney mics') and I said, "Watch out for that weirdo in the red shirt and don't anybody ask him if he wants any help because he clearly does not." Also, I got a Gap Card on the sales floor! That is super rare, I will have you know. My sales skills are on point, y'all! I am striving to be the next Gap Card video girl.

So I posted my playlist from class the other night. It was such an amazing class! The energy was great! I had a student come up to me after class and say, "Wow! I am so glad I came tonight! I haven't done yoga in three years due to a back injury and this was just great. You are an amazing teacher." Well, I thank you kindly ma'am. Then she said, "But is there any other teacher here you can recommend to me that is maybe a little more gentle?" Gentle, I was not! We did lots of vinyasa, constant movement, lots of planks, chatturanga, side planks, standing splits, lots of warriors. One breath, one movement. Simply amazing. I told her that sometimes I was a little more on the gentle side, but that for the most part I just based my class on my mood since the gym doesn't differentiate between power yoga and gentle or beginner yoga. But I encouraged her to try other teachers and stick with her practice and NEVER to leave a class if she found it to challenging. I told her I appreciated her effort and hard work and that if she found herself in that position again it would be beneficial for her to come to balasana and stay connected to her breath. I hope she will take my advice and find it useful. I love my job.

So I'm back on my big smoothie kick. It all started last Monday when I took Dana to the airport and we stopped at Jamba Juice where I got an acai berry topper. It was basically a smoothie topped with granola and banana slices and you eat it with a spoon. So I was like, I can totally make this at home and it will be much healthier than my usual poptart or cold refried bean breakfast. So this morning I had a mostly blueberry smoothie topped with the fresh granola and banana slices. It was mostly blueberry because I accidentally dropped too many bluebs in there. Whatever, it tasted fine. Other days I have used fruits such as pineapple, mango, raspberry, blackberry and strawberry. And I always add some apple sauce to help blend it together. I get all my ingredients from Whole Foods and I buy them in their purest most simple form so that it is actually healthy. When you get into adding things like yogurt and sugar and sweetened apple sauce and all that garbage it turns into more of a dessert than a healthy breakfast.

I have to work today from 11-6 and Shannon and I are carpooling. She is picking me up at 10:15, so I better go start getting ready!

xoxo,

T