Mar 102017
 

From my obsessive binge listening to MFM’s podcast, I heard about Someone Knows Something. The title alone would have hooked me, but then I started to listen to it and became addicted to it.

Season 1 looks at the case of a missing boy, Adrien McNaughton, who disappeared when his father and siblings went fishing one afternoon in the woods of Canada. There were lots of theories of what may have happened to him, but the host, David Ridgen, investigates to discover new possibilities. 

It was a fascinating story and while M couldn’t wait to hear all of the episodes and read about it on the web, I looked forward to my drives – both long and short – in the afternoons or found myself deciding to cook something so that I could listen to an episode. πŸ˜€

Now, I am over halfway through Season 2 about the disappearance of Sheryl Sheppard in Eastern Canada. Again, I am addicted and thinking about the case whenever not listening. I think perhaps my addiction to crime shows has really gone to a new level… πŸ˜›

If you like true crime – this is a must listen!

~T πŸ˜€

Mar 092017
 

Back when I first started my life as a ‘lady of leisure’ I joined up with the American Women’s Network. Now, I was a bit hesitant then as I had had a less than ideal interaction with them when I first arrived in the UAE over 8 years ago.

However, I really enjoyed the vibe of the Coffee Mornings and the few people I met. After joining a couple of activities – book club, golf – I decided to attend a luncheon to see how I might get involved with helping out in the group since volunteering is a good way to stay active within my varied availability. Although I just attended the luncheon to see what I could do by expressing my interest in computer work or things done behind the scenes, I found myself soon becoming more involved than expected.

Before I knew it I was tasked with helping with the webpage since the existing webmaster had recently gone back to work and could no longer keep up. Once I took a look at the site, I suggested moving the site to a blog format and increasing their social media presence. This was looked at favorably and by the beginning of the year, I was working on a new site.

Just after the new year, I became the sole webmaster since I was offering to make some big changes to the site.

After a few days worth of work and addressing some other technical matters, the new site has been completed, gmails created and the Board members trained. 

Everyone seems happy, which makes me happy. Check it out here.

~T πŸ˜€

 Posted by at 17:37
Mar 082017
 

Happy International Women’s Day! 

Although I do not generally rally behind “international days” of anything (I am sure I wrote a post about this way back…), today allowed me to get onto the embassy grounds of my husband’s homeland. 

A few weeks ago I was contacted by someone in the embassy about doing some yoga sessions for their employees in celebration of this day. They were having an ‘active’ day offering a variety of health-related activities. Yoga being one of them. 

I was actually quite nervous as embassies have some status around here and I have never been properly in another country’s embassy grounds. Also, it is a bit of a big deal to be teaching yoga there since it is a ‘newish’ profession for me. 

However, once I got through the gate I felt very relaxed. It is not so high stress security as the US Embassy, but I still felt secure. 

The grounds for the yoga was lovely with a wide open yard and a great view of the Landmark Tower, which is well-known on the Abu Dhabi skyline.



Once I started teaching it all came to me fluidly. Aside from my quiet voice, it was a great way to start the morning with two back-to-back one-hour sessions for beginners to yoga. The feedback seemed positive as well, so you never know what might come of it. πŸ˜€

So, my first big gig as The OSH Network seems to have been a success! Woohoo! 

~T πŸ˜€

 Posted by at 12:40
Mar 072017
 

I was starting to feel a bit busy with two yoga sessions nearly every day plus at least one lesson a day. My days are starting to round out to a 2/2:30pm start with a finish between 6-8pm depending on the day. It’s a nice balance really, though takes a bit of getting used to. 

For the first time in a few weeks I made it back out to the MRTTAD ladies group. It was good to catch up and chat with friends. Plus, I am trying to get my running back up even though I do a lot of yoga now….

So I was happy with this and for having ran a full kilometer rather than cheating with a partial walk in there. Next week I’ll see if I can push myself to go a little further with the running. 

It helped that the weather was absolutely perfect with sunshine and a cool breeze. Most parts of the world would call it a “spring” breeze but it’s a bit warmer than that. However, given the onslaught of grey skies lately, this sunshine is very welcomed. 

Also, since I worked hard yesterday on the computer getting a bit ahead of myself, I decided to treat myself to a couple of hours by the pool soaking up some much needed vitamin D and relaxation. 

I think I am preparing mentally for my upcoming holidays in Japan. I am soooooo excited for it, but hardly believe it is true. Maybe once I am on the plane I can sigh relief for a reprieve from life here for just over two weeks!! Woot woot!

Until then, I am practicing while I can here in the desert learning how to gear up for gearing down. 

~T πŸ˜€

 Posted by at 11:06
Mar 062017
 

When I think back to the person I was fresh out of college or even during my MA days or at each major change in my life, I discover that I have had the fortunate ability to change mentally, emotionally and physically.

I have always been fascinated by the brain and its capacity. My only dream outside of becoming a writer was to perhaps someday become a neurosurgeon.

Sadly, when I realized just how much schooling was involved in this endeavor, I gave up on that dream knowing (or hoping) that I was not going to spend so much time in a classroom. Little did I know then that I would spend just as much or more time in the classroom in the end….

Now, I am continuing down a career change and even considering the possibility of going on an even different path (mere musings at the moment), and I am amazed at the capacity of the mind and heart to alter.

With every new challenge that comes my way, I find myself going into an even further depth of calm. While there is still a voice that argues and laments when these things happen, this voice is no longer central nor as strong. Instead, I became extremely calm inside, focusing on what can be done and then leaving the rest to ‘fate’/ God / the universe. 

In doing so, the effect of my altered state brought calm to those around me as well. So, slowly I am seeing how this kind of mental and emotional training can work toward bringing peace in the world – even if we start just amongst ourselves. πŸ˜€

~T πŸ˜€

 Posted by at 14:03
Mar 052017
 

I was listening to My Favorite Murder podcast this week and was entertained at their opening dialog about things they ‘hate’. One example was when someone leaves a bowl of cereal in the sink without rinsing or putting water into the bowl therefore cementing the bits of cereal onto the side of the bowl, which takes work to get off at the time of washing. 

This conversation took me back to the days when M and I first started to spend our days and nights together full time thus bringing in a teenager into my life. Although we all generally got along, one of the biggest challenges I came across was adapting to two people who either left dirty bowls in the sink or put them directly into the dishwasher without rinsing them – leaving me to scrape off the dried/cemented bits off the sides of the bowls. 

After a number of days quietly trying to convince myself it was no big deal, I finally decided to draw boundaries and send a group message requesting that they rinse out their bowls stating that “dishwashers don’t scrub”; thus indirectly (though not subtly) claiming it was me who does it and no longer wanted to do it. 

Although not a big deal, it does lead me to think about how we make concessions for the little things that bother us when it is not necessary. We are so conditioned to say “It’s such a small thing, there’s no need to be upset about it.” Or, “Is it really worth saying something about it?” Well, the truth is YES, it is always worth it and, true, there is no need to be upset. Still, we are within our rights to express positive solutions to avoid situations where even the small things might bother us. 

We often find that large explosions, that seemingly come out of nowhere, in response to things are a result of numerous small things that may have bothered us and we never said anything to acknowledge or address them. 

Therefore, I think that we should always make note of even the smallest things to be truthful to ourselves, to others and to ensure that we do not wait for a large explosion to happen.

So, for the love of God, just put some water in it! πŸ˜›

~T πŸ˜€

 Posted by at 08:00
Mar 042017
 

This week was a lot better getting back into the exercise routine. I have noticed a bit more energy, perhaps from having started Juice Plus+ or perhaps from having rested the past two weeks. 

Also, I have come to accept that if I am going to be doing so much yoga these days, then I really do not need to go to the gym every day since staying fit is my goal over losing weight and I think that the training I do when I do get to the gym will still let me reach those ab goals! πŸ˜€

So here are this week’s workouts:

Feb 26 (Sunday)

  • 100 jumping jacks 
  • 15 burpees
  • 35 35kg total abdominal x2 
  • 5″ arm hang / 1/8 pull up
  • 20 tricep dips
  • 20 10kg shoulder press
  • 40 5kg ab crunch x2 
  • 25 20kg wide bar pull down 
  • 30 4kg tricep pumps
  • 20 15kg chest press 
  • 20 4kg back crunch 
  • 15 4kg side crunch each side 
  • 20 floor leg lifts
  • 15 floor one leg lifts each side 
  • Sunday Yoga Wellness
  • 1.5hrs yoga practice

Feb 27 (Monday)

  • Rest day (hubby influenced my schedule)

Feb 28 (Tuesday) – a short workout in the morning

  • 100 jumping jacks 
  • 20 burpees
  • 35 35kg total abdominal x2 
  • 15 15kg shoulder press
  • 20 15kg chest press
  • 30 3kg tricep pumps 
  • 40 5kg ab crunch 
  • 1hr Tuesday Yoga Wellness

Mar 1 (Wednesday)

  • Another rest day…bed was warm… πŸ˜›

Mar 2 (Thursday)

  • 100 jumping jacks 
  • 35 35kg total abdominal 
  • 20 15kg chest press 
  • 20 4kg back crunch 
  • 12 4kg side crunch each side 
  • 20 6kg tricep pumps 
  • 20 10kg ab crunch 
  • 20 15kg shoulder press 
  • 20 floor leg lifts 
  • 20 floor one leg lifts each side
  • 1′ elbow plank
  • 30″ side elbow plank each side
  • 1hr yoga session

Mar 3 (Friday)

  • Yoga was rescheduled so had a rest day again! πŸ˜›

Mar 4 (Saturday)

  • 1hr yoga session x2
Mar 032017
 

A recent topic of conversation lately has been on my need for a bit more intellectual stimulation in some form.

While I am absolutely loving my yoga classes and clients, I am only getting physical stimulation from the exercise or trying to help people get their bodies a bit more supple. However, the intellectual challenge of project building or problem solving is not quite there.

Although I have considered getting more involved in the planning and carrying out of retreats, which may give me both the intellectual and physical aspect, I am not sure that is exactly what I am looking for.

The truth is that I miss to some degree drinking coffee discussing academics, students, research and the like. I absolutely do not miss the teaching of the population I was interacting with day in and day out, but I do miss some of the work that I was doing outside of the classroom. How can I engage in that kind of work for pay remotely??? πŸ€”

At the moment, I am trying harder to tap into my creative writing side, which requires intellectual exercise. Perhaps this will be enough for me once I get into a regular rhythm and routine with it. It is just important to remember that this is a new phase in my life and even though it may seem as if a lot of time has passed, it really hasn’t as I continue to adjust and get used to a new way of using my brain. πŸ˜…

~T πŸ˜€

 Posted by at 08:55
Mar 022017
 

The other morning M stepped on the scale realizing that his weight has fluctuated towards the heavier side again. It is easy to do when we stop thinking about our food intake and he does not like to go to the gym….

Although we have gone through different phases of exercising together, I came to the realization that it is no fun for either of us for me to nag him as it is really up to him to exercise or not. Therefore, I am always looking for ways to adjust our diet to balance this out.

A while back I started to see some posts with a common friend about his weight loss. It seems he started on The Plan. 

After seeing his results, I decided to get the book on my Kindle and see what it was all about. Plus, I do love a new nutrition challenge. 

Basically, it seems that this is about finding out what foods the body reacts to that will cause it to inflame, resulting in weight gain. With three days of a cleanse to ‘reset’ the body, we slowly introduce back in our ‘normal’ foods and see if there is a reaction to it.

For the first three days, M lost weight, which two-thirds was probably water weight. However, today he woke up to the scale having put on weight, which may have been a result of the chicken that we added to our meal last night. It will require testing again by going back for a day to the neutral meals and then trying it again to see what happens. 

The challenge is the weekend and the fact that we both have plans to go out, drink a bit and see friends. So, I will do my best to ensure that we stay somewhat on task.

Also, I have found so far that I am quite hungry on this way of eating as I do workout regularly and require a great deal more protein/food to get me through the day. Surprisingly, or maybe not, I have not lost any weight nor gained. I really am not looking to lose much, but am hoping that at minimum I will see what my body reacts to and at most maybe just drop a few small pounds! πŸ˜›

So, this is just an intro to the book and our working through it as I have not completed reading it yet or have we made it through our 20 days. When we do get there, then I will write up a full review. πŸ˜€

~T πŸ˜€

Mar 012017
 

I have noticed lately or acknowledged lately the truth – there is a lot of anger in the world…especially these days. However, I ask for what?

Facebook is covered with loads of posts about being anti-current-US President, which is fair enough. I very much disagree with his decisions, tactics, words, and public persona. I do not know him as a person nor have I seen any aspect of him on a personal level to make a judgment one way or the other of him as a human being. Still, I cannot say that I like what I do know of him.

At the same time, he is still a human being and he is still the US President, so there is no need to harbor anger. Maybe we can be worried, maybe we can protest in hopes of positive actions, maybe we can be activitists in truly making the world a better place, but none of these methods require anger.

On the other side, there is so much anger towards those who are angry. 

I sent my mother a text message during the Oscars to see if she was watching. After all, I had just posted about how it makes me feel a piece of home and it was always something she and I enjoyed doing together – whether or not it meant anything to her or if she realized it meant anything to me. I got no response until later in the day before I was heading to bed. The vitriol and anger that came through in just a message was shocking to me. In fact, I still have not replied because I hardly know what to say. While a part wants to be flippant or make a joke, the other feels sadness at the negativity that surrounds people like her.

Then, last night I saw a post on Facebook responding to the muck up at the Oscars for Best Picture. Likely, a very honest mistake was made. Did it symbolize a great deal of human emotion surrounding racism, and our current political state? Yes, of course. However, there is just no need in my mind to post such angry words or to promote a continued battled between the races, between human beings. 

We all have to live in this world. We all, in some way or another, want to make the world a better place according to our perspective, stance and experiences in this lifetime. In order to achieve this, we need to let go of the anger and negativity that festers inside our hearts and minds. Cancer grows from these darkest spots of our souls. Worse yet, it is not necessary.

I believe in action. I believe in positive action resulting in positive results. We can be outspoken and opinionated without releasing negative energies or pointing fingers at individuals, groups, races or countries. Our world can change, but the only way it will succeed is through the virtues of love and compassion.

We humans need to simmer down, let the pots stop boiling so that there is enough time and ability to see all the goodness that lies inside each of us. Then, together we can walk into the light of joy in this world. β˜€οΈπŸ™πŸ½

~T πŸ˜€

 Posted by at 09:07
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