Also

I obviously, obviously, NEED TO GET THIS VIDEO:


Cardio for Indie Rockers

I think this line from the review says it all:

"The closer you are to graffitti, the deeper your stretches will be. That's the key to indie rock fitness."

Xmess

Did I mention we went to visit some of the nieces for Christmas? Here's the baby, crawling around. Her older sister is in CONSTANT MOTION and I'm not that skilled of a photographer.



She's 9 months old and has a very distinct personality from her sister. It's fun to watch, and I got to play with both of them a lot. Little fluffhead there is quite the extrovert. She's quiet, but she REALLY doesn't like to be separated from people.

Neurotic

Which about sums it all up lately. Obsessed about weight (ha ha, what else is new?), exercise, diet; worried about the cat (she's fine, she's even gained 3 ounces in the last few months. Unless she's dying of cancer, in which case I can't do much about that anyway. She doesn't act like she's dying), the economy, the environment, my parents (who might actually really be retiring this year. I'll believe it when I see it). I hate all my clothes, they all feel tired and worn and don't fit very well (ha ha, kind of like me). I am second guessing and criticising my professional work, my workouts, my interactions with othe people, my color choices, the evenness of my knit stitches....

But really I have many great things, lots of wonderful stuff has happened to me, and I really really appreciate everything I have. Which why it drives me nuts when I get like this (yes, I've got a part of my brain commenting on another part of it. arggh).

At least I can deal with some of the physical tension. I've been stretching. A lot - sometimes 3 times a day. I also got a foam roller a couple weekends ago so I can be better about doing an IT band massage daily
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/flexibilityandstretching/ss/FoamRoller_5.htm
rather than relying on the gym's roller. I don't always get to the gym every day. I still need to get big exercise ball, but for now I'll still rely on the gym's.

An open letter

Dear World,
I have decided to go around naked from now on, rather than spend any more time searching fruitlessly for clothing that makes me not feel like a whale. I think I am just a whale. Hope y'all don't mind the jiggly fat.
Love,
Big Alice

P.S. Well, maybe I'll just wear socks. All those skeins shouldn't go to waste, plus I just discovered Sock Dreams (not affiliated. Just enamored)

Don't get around much any more

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season.
Despite some traveling drama (really, not all that much, considering. One of my coworkers had her PLANE CATCH ON FIRE - not a tiny one either, a big commercial one. Now, that was a story. Don't worry, she's fine), we made it all the places we were intending to go and saw most of the people we would have liked to see. Nonetheless, it's almost comforting to get back into routine, but I sure miss the free time. We haven't had any problems despite the snows, ice, and lately the torrential downpours (I-5 is closed 60 miles north of us, with 10 feet (FEET!) of water on the freeway); thank you so much for your comments and concern.

It is 9 days into the new year and I'm already behind. Agggh. I'll try to catch up this weekend. I've only got a dozen or so Christmas cards left to send out, and a couple packages, buy a couple wedding presents, answer a bunch of email, call the dentist, the vet (yearly appointment), and the cat lady, make a laundromat run to wash the quilts... and I'm going to Hawaii in February, for the first time. Just because.

Happy new year!