Day 12: no expectations

My stomach had been bothering me since mid-morning. I even took a long lunch break and went home and took a nap. Feeling somewhat better, I went back to work, thinking there was less likelihood I could wimp out that way. There was no way I could NOT go to yoga on Day 12! Krista taught. I told her my tummy was acting up and she advised me to “be mellow.” I paid close attention to how I was feeling as I practiced, but I only rested out second sets of Standing Bow Pulling and Balancing Stick. Overall, I had a good practice and it felt easier and lighter than normal. I think this is because I had low or no expectations for my practice, since I hadn’t been feeling well. So my task for today (lucky thirteen) will be to stay out of my own way. In the words of Pogo, my dad’s favorite cartoon character: We have met the enemy and he is us! I also need to hydrate better, but Pogo didn’t speak much to hydration issues.

In other yoga news, I called Barkan Yoga today and left a message requesting to pay for my teacher training tuition and housing with a credit card. THE YOGI himself, Jimmy, called me back. He has a very nice voice! I was a little star-struck. His office manager was out today.

In yet more yoga news, I have lost a bit of weight due to all this practice. MSH claims that my boobs have gotten smaller. HALLELUJAH! Standard bra size, here I come! As you may imagine, his feelings on the subject are somewhat different. Here is my little tiny violin, strung with rosined-up bra straps, playing for you, honey. Of course, the last two nights I have been uncharacteristically and ravenously hungry at dinner, so I could easily put the bit of weight back on. I probably need to start consciously eating a larger breakfast and lunch to fuel up prior to practice. I’m not going to be buying any pants anytime soon, is the short version. Except for maybe a pair of yoga shorts. As previously indicated.

NOT AT ALL RELATED TO YOGA: The other day I needed to write some cards when I was out at the U Pillage and (horrors!) did not have a pen in my purse. I swiftly made for Office Despot, so-called because it despotically requires that any office supply desired be purchased in bulk quantities. I was after a ball-point pen, and couldn’t buy any fewer than 12. Unless I wanted like a totally gourmet pen. Which I don’t. The marmot is a ball-point pen user OF THE PEOPLE.

After test-writing a few models, I picked out a jaunty set of twelve Foray pens—black, medium point—with various barrel colors. (The first set I picked up had had one of its number pilfered—doubtless by a less than scrupulous customer frustrated at his/her inability to JUST BUY ONE PEN.) This cost me around ten clams, and I remember being horrified by the excess. Twelve pens—twelve pens! It will be 2020 before I use all those pens!

In a word: no. I put one in my bag (I should put in a backup.) I put one in my desk. I put one in my bedside table to journal with at night, replacing the crappy blue one I have secretly hated but always use because I’m in bed and too lazy to go find another. I put one in the bag I use to transport my dharma book and journal to/from the dharma center (so I don’t have to get up and rummage for a pen in the back room and miss part of the dharma talk.) I have discovered that it is really nice to have twelve (now eight) pens that I like. You don’t have to curse the inadequacy of those free pharmaceutically-labeled pens that somehow find their way into even the households of the furthest-removed from the healthcare industry. You just have good pens. I recommend it.