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
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