Search Keywords:

(alternative title: How Paul Rudd saved me from a fiery crash -- let's see how long it takes for THAT to trend)

The most common phrases used to find my blog over the last month:

"paul rudd adventures in babysitting"
"george newbern paul rudd"
"life of a sequestered juror"
"twiddling my thumb"
"paul rudd father of the bride"
"sun salutation poses"
"life as a sequestered juror"
"life as sequestered juror"
"student revisited"
"sun salutation yoga pose"

Since Paul Rudd is the most photogenic of the bunch I decided to use a picture of him (from Thehunkies.com).

"Jurors" are usually NOT that interesting...unless you're a juror seated on the "Trial of the Century" or the first "Twitter Trial" or any one of the other similar references you'd like to use. If you don't know what I'm talking about then you've been living under a rock. LUCKY YOU!

Anything related to yoga is very interesting...but because my last experience was watching Power Yoga on ION Life (yesterday), I don't feel qualified to talk about it. NOT that I've ever been qualified to talk about it (except in the limited student way).

The last film I watched starring Paul was horrible. Yes, HORRIBLE. I can't believe I just said that either. How Do You Know also had Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson. I guess bad things do happen to awesome people. Will I hold it against either of the three? Absolutely not!

Now you can get back to Twiddling your Thumbs!

~~J

Roots

“Silence is a source of great strength.”
--Lao Tzu

I missed my one year Yoga-versary...

I didn't forget about it, but since I only attended one single class in the entire month of July (due to a ridiculously long illness) it didn't seem fitting to celebrate.

Or maybe it seemed wrong since I still have trouble with very basic poses.

It's probably a combination of both things.

Now I understand that Yoga brings together three things: Mind, Breath, and Body...I've got two of those things down...I'll let you guess which two based on a previous statement.

Tonight is my last local class for a good long while and since it's been soaring "over the century mark" for days now, it will be another unintentional "hot" yoga class.

"Hot" Yoga or Bikram Yoga where the room you practice in is intentionally heated to anywhere from 90-105 degrees. NO THANK YOU! It's hard enough to hold a pose when you don't have sweat streaming down your arms, legs, and face.

WHEW!

I'm going to have to continue my practice on my own (for the most part) as I go off for graduate school. Mentally I NEED yoga to remain calm, cool, and focused. It's really become one of my favorite things.

I've got the gear (mat, straps, blocks) alongside several pairs of "yoga" pants. I have a couple Yoga specific books and I've been gifted two more books that deal more with the lifestyle side. I may get a Yoga Journal subscription to help stay inspired.

नमस्ते!
(Namaste!)

~~J

Books like to Teeter-Totter

(a statement proven by this very picture -- snapped this morning)

If I sleep with enough literature books under my bed, will the knowledge seep into my brain as I toss and turn OR do I have to open up the pages and actually read?

I jest (you know). But it was a good way to preface another trip to the used bookstore (maybe).

This time around I specifically did NOT pick up any F. Scott Fitzgerald (although a couple of his short stories are in the anthologies). I tried to be a little gender-biased and pay homage to my fellow female writers:

Margaret Atwood -- The Blind Assassin* (She is currently being read by a friend as a major project, so when I saw her name, I figured I could dive in as well)

Eudora Welty -- Delta Wedding* (Which I may have a copy of in storage--or I was supposed to have a copy of for Southern Literature, or I've heard it mentioned a few times and decided it was time...)

Sylvia Plath -- The Colossus* (Her first collection of poems, which were not hailed by critics...so why not have more Plath to carry around?)

And then I saw a 1st Edition John Updike collection (Museums & Women) and I had to buy that one as well. He is a master of the short story and who doesn't want to own a 1st Edition Updike?

So I broke code. Ah well.

Brief Yoga Update: We did enough leg work last night -- I have been making not-so-attractive noises as I go up and down the stairs.

Brief MFA Update: There was no e-mail at 3am, 5am, 7am, or the three times I've checked while tying this entry.

Ounces of coffee consumed? +/- 32

& I plan to see Alice in Wonderland before the clock strikes midnight.

~~J

p.s. The Mail Truck put me out of my misery with a rejection letter. That's all the news I need for today -- Thanks, universe.

As Easy as 1-2-3

Forward Bends

Warrior II






Triangle!

ABC-of-Yoga.com

And I am not saying any of this is EASY, mind you. I am simply showing you three reasons why I can't walk today...don't forget the squats either.

Okay, I guess I can walk, I just FEEL it. Can someone call in "Triangle" to work?

How would that go exactly?

Please excuse me from work today, I over-Triangled.*

*Goddess/Temple pose(d)
did too much Pigeon Pose'ing

Maybe you can't tell from all screamin', but I absolutely adore Yoga. :D

In fact, the Yoga Universe is so small, that I found out last night that my current Yoga Instructor (Goddess) has taken Meditation classes from my first Yoga Instructor!

And the same first Yoga Instructor gives private lessons to a certain famous Yogi when he happen to be in town filming movies.

By power of Namaste, therefore I've Yoga'd with ____________!

~*****~
Was I up at 3:30am?
Was I singing Counting Crows songs?

Have I checked the MFA Blogs today?

Am I going to work today? But am I off this weekend?

Is it still gray outside?
But is gray my favorite color?

(Yes x 7)

Graduated, now what?

(toothpastefordinner)

I wait. I wait. I wait. It's the first full week of February and I have...ten (?) weeks of waiting to go:

Reading books (so my mind doesn't atrophy)
Knitting wearables (so my hands don't deteriorate)
Working full-time (so my bank account doesn't...shrivel up and die)
.
.
.
Watching movies (so my mind doesn't give way)
Yoga-practicing (so my body doesn't decline)
Working full-time (see the section above)


I'm pretty sure I just wanted to use the Thesaurus today because I can't tell you the first or last time I ever used "atrophy" in a written sentence.

I had a friend stop by a month or so ago and tell me about her new career as a teacher. We took a class together in the Fall of 2008. She told me that her school was probably going to be looking for a 10th grade English teacher soon...

*insert fantasies about being a 10th grade English teacher here*

There was a conversation about "applying" to local newspapers (the S is a bit misleading, because our print media market isn't gigantic--but it isn't lacking either). Not really sure about the want to apply though...

I know how that business works.

Conversations about what exactly I want to do or see myself doing or what in the world is an MFA have been had with all types of people.

Blah.

The Australian Open was a great distraction--Federer Reigns and Serena Swings!

Back to waiting for the rejection letters to come (psyching myself out)...
Back to downloading music on iTunes...
Back to ordering birthday gifts waaaay in advance...

The dripping, melting snow may as well represent my sanity.

~~J

Survival of the Bendy:

Or in my case, not-so-bendy...

Typically I blog about Thursday night Yoga on Friday morning--but I had to work "earlier" than normal on Friday (not complaining) thus the warp-up was delayed.

Big news: I survived.

But let it be known that I nearly fell over toward the end when I was introduced to a Revolved Twisting (fall on your face) Side Angle thing.

I look at it now....(GO HERE) and it seems easy enough. Or maybe it seems doable...or maybe I'm a little bit crazy--but my body said NO!

I was so In the Spirit (Yoga Drunk) after class that I logged onto Yoga Direct only to find they were having a huge sale. Bam! I need two mats, of course (especially if they are practically throwing them at you).

Yoga blankets?

"Whether you are need extra warmth and comfort in reclining or restorative postures, or for extra support in seated or kneeling poses, Yoga Blankets provide the extra cushioning, support, and warmth you need in your regular Yoga practice."

SOLD!

You can barely see mine in this picture, but it's black. Ya know, to pair with the new pink sticky mat...which goes with my "old" pink and black yoga mat bag.

And I have a black strap (what? a strap?) why not grab a couple hot pink ones because they are on sale...RIGHT?

And before you start baulking, the Yoga Strap is the secret tool of the not-so-bendy (me).

It helps the body/limbs get into and hold poses longer.

"They can act as a connection from one hand to another, or a foot to a hand when you are not flexible enough to reach without any help."

See? I didn't know Yoga props existed either. But in addition to the Mat, I highly recommend a strap and a block--which our class know provides, but I prefer to have my own.

(Who really wants to sweat on my sweat?)

See ya next week, Diane....See ya next week!

~~J

KK, PP* K last Stitch:

I don't think this picture really does "it" justice.

I call "it" my "twisted sunset" scarf...I put it on stitch holder so I could wear it around...and get the full effect.

it needs to be longer, of course.


But it's "cute" for something I "created" myself.

Yes? No? (the answer is YES!!)

The yarn is actually called "sunset" (or something similar, I'm not THAT creative)...HA!

Regular knitting isn't keeping my mind happy any more. I need something more complex. This only means I'm going to have to take a class...or get to a yarn store ASAP!

Related Websites I Love: Knitty & Yarn Harlot (I have all of her books! I want to knit socks!)

This alongside "at-home" yoga has kept me busy today. I have an actual class later tonight and since it's been A MONTH since I attended--you may never hear from me again.

*puff puff puff*

I'm not kidding. And don't give me that side look--two classes fell on Christmas Eve & New Year's Eve (therefore they didn't happen)...then it was minus 12 degrees and then I was SICK!

*trying not to psyche myself out of yoga*

I heard from a former classmate today. He asked if I'd be interested in workshopping his upcoming story (he graduates in May). YES! I think I screamed YES! (in text message form) within 5 seconds...really.

So I can't wait to cut my teeth on that--and maybe it will kick me into editing mode. I have two of my own stories to work on from last semester. It may be time to revisit them.

Maybe I should locate my yoga mat now?

~~J

Confused Animals:

Yoga is to be practiced in silence--

I mean, we're silently focusing on our breath and our body. No words are to be escaping our lips....BUT

sometimes, I just want to talk. (I know, big shocker--go ahead and smirk)

Cat/Cow Stretch is one of these times.

Meow Moo. Meow Moo.

*Stretches front (back) torso & neck
*Provides gentle massage to spine & belly organs

Can't you just see a roomful of people Meowing and Mooing together as they Cat/Cow stretch?

The thought makes me smile really big.

Notice no mention of papers...here that comes: STILL IN PROGRESS.

I have never had as much trouble with a "single" 8-page paper that I can remember. Anyone? The "paper fairy" hasn't visited. Maybe she got lost along the way?

Other than that, I'm barreling into my work week. I wasn't even sure WHAT TIME I was to go in until I called and checked. I am so on top of things!

I am one school away from having all of my transcripts..."taken care of"...is there is "Grad School Specialist" who takes care of all of the paperwork FOR YOU?

Just the running around part.
The calling & filing out application after application part.
The calculating GPAs and addressing big envelopes part.
The chart-making, keeping it all straight part.

IS THERE? I think I just created a "new job" for someone.

Speaking of job...*checks clock*...meow moo.

~~J

P.S. GRE scores are apparently out and about (as reported by a couple universities) I am still waiting for my copy in the mail.

11/12 = Fantastic!

It all started with "a good hair day." Yes, I am being a bit vain--but is it absolutely true!

Then I met with one of my recommenders--and those ten letters of recommendation she wrote for me? complete! Done. Finito!

Coincidence? I mentioned my "accidental" submission to one program (aka I hit "submit" and assumed I would be prompted to enter credit card/payment information--NOPE! it SENT!)--just the FIRST part of the application...but I've gotten emails from the Director of the program already.

Long story, short--I mentioned this and SHE KNOWS THE DIRECTOR! What a small world. So that letter was addressed specifically to him. This means nothing in the long run, it's a numbers game, percentages are never in the applicant's favor--BUT it never hurts!

I was picked up by my BFF (one of my classes was cancelled) and we went to lunch at Fino's. Yes, the best little Italian grocery store in the city. What could be better than Fino's with your BFF? Exactly.

The lecture in my Philosophy class was interesting. (My proposal got the thumbs down, I have to go back to the drawing board with that one, oh well I wasn't "feeling" it either.)

Pecan Pie Cookie for snack (from aforementioned BFF) after before class...yum yum yum!

I came home to mail from aforementioned university (the one I sent the application to online, because I was a bit trigger happy)....NICE!

Then onward to YOGA:
ARF! (Downward Facing Dog)

Not my favorite pose (I've said this time and time again)--but tonight? Not so bad. I only had to modify it a few times.

AND when we went "one-legged" or "three-legged" depending on your point of view--I was a rock star.

(that means to pick one of those legs up and "throw" it over to the side, aka bend the extended leg at the knee)

Of course, my heels never stay flat on the floor--but tonight, while on one-leg, SUCCESS! (My left foot was flat on the floor!)

Moving Right along---apparently my Personal Statement is COMPLETE! I was informed of this by a professional (person I trust dearly)...and she wouldn't lie...but I had a feeling when I sent her the revision.

Next up? THE GRE (on Monday)! But who can stop me now? That's what I thought too....nobody!

~~J

I am the Warrior:

Well I am the warrior
And heart to heart you'll win
If you survive the warrior,
the warrior...
(Scandal, 1984)

Warrior III Pose

Virabhadra = the name of a fierce warrior, an incarnation of Shiva, described as having a thousand heads, eyes and feet; wielding a thousand clubs; and wearing a tiger's skin.

I'm only so fierce whilst standing on my right leg. And my arms are out to the sides or back (not forward)--but that's my new yoga pose from last night.

And maybe I'm just a little bit crazy, but I almost prefer Yoga on a rainy night. It's easier to get into "the mood" when you can hear raindrops and swirling leaves.

So this week has been filled with a lot of applications. Graduate school applications. I've only started the process--but it's daunting nevertheless. I've almost completed the "school" part for SIX universities.

Then I start the portfolio part. I'm vetting my short stories now. I know of one YES and then I'm trying to decide between two others. It really depends on the school and the amount of pages they require.

Oh yeah, school school. Who can forget about school school?

There are 3 stories to read. There is another story to write.

THEN there is a "mini" paper to finish start BEFORE I take on TWO really big papers (8 pages, 15 pages). Both proposals are due on THE SAME DAY (Nov 10)!

The next week after that? GRE! (plus an abnormal psych exam)

Don't mind me--shooting at the walls of heartache, bang bang!

~~J

Friday Wrap-Up:

It has been a "Marathon" week already, but today is only my "Pharmacy Monday." *insert a lot of sad faces here*

I have a full page filled with random comments and notes from my Workshop with Bausch on Wednesday.

We talked about clever bumper stickers: "Save the Whales" + "No Nukes" = Nuke the Whales

Then it became a 1970s adventure as he told us about how "I found it" turned into "I fondled it"and his favorite Nixon-era "Impeach the Cox-Sacker" (I really like that one too!)

He read the "Invalid's Story" by Mark Twain. There was snickering around the room throughout--what a hilarious tale!

(Which led into a conversation about the "Jumping Frog" story--as I called it. No one else knew it--kids today!)

Guess who has read The Great Gatsby 36 times?

I nearly fell out of my chair! I told him about reading it for the first time over the summer and my extreme love for F. Scott and how I have been collecting used copies even though Tender is the Night is my favorite...at least somebody gets me!

He suggested that we write a story from the point of view of someone 25 years older than we actually are AND the opposite gender. I'll have to try that.

Inspirational Quote of the Class:

"Write like all Hell! I mean, Why not?"

----------------------------------------------------------

Weekly Yoga Class Observations:

Shavasana music is my favorite

(Wide) Downward Dog is my friend

Plank was relatively easy last night

Best Triangle Pose ever

Not so good Upright Crescent Moon

I haven't been able to hold Half Moon since Day 1

If someone has "poppy" knees, mine do the same

Looking at the ankles in front of me, helps me balance
----------------------------------------------------------

• I've jumped back into writing poetry. They are short, they are quick--but they are happening (in the middle of the night, no less)
• I finally slept for eight hours last night (it was Benadryl-induced)
• I switched from grapefruit lemongrass to cucumber green tea...we'll see if anyone can smell the difference. I LOVE IT!

/randomness.

~~J

Salutations!

(of the Sun kind)
Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskara) are the core of a Vinyasa style yoga practice--a series of poses done in succession so that one pose flows into the next. The pace of the flow and how long the poses are held may vary, but the movement is done in accompaniment with the breath. The purpose of the Sun Salutation is to warm up the body for more intense stretches.

Believe me, after going through this cycle ONCE I am more than warm enough. I am a burning ball of energy.

Then ya do it all over again on the other side.

Geez. After all of that, my body temperature equals that of the sun. BUT HEY! At least I'm going to yoga, right?

Nevermind the sweaty, clumsy girl in the back row. *waves*

Finding time for yoga in my already full, full (so much so, I had to say it twice) schedule was challenging. But I did it, with help of a friend.

Sweating in front of strangers is ONE thing, now imagine doing it in front of someone you'd rather look "cool" in front of...someone you actually know.

Psh. No problem...at least not now (it took three weeks for me to come to this mindset).

And just in case you're a big, ol' book nerd like myself--I can't see the word SALUTATIONS! without thinking of Charlotte's Web.

Terrific piece of personal trivia: Guess what was the first BOOK that ever made me cry? And I was in second grade, and it was being read to us for "story time"...

~~J

That's What She Said!

In a text session, somewhere:

Me: Wow. I’m sore in about 12 places.
A: Dirty.
Me: Mmhhmm. That’s right!
A: So specific. Not sore all over, but in twelve places.

p.s. this is "the bow," this is something I cannot do.
But it seemed to illustrate the point.

the Yoga papers:

Creation flows, for life is the movement of Being.

Immerse yourself in stillness and become consciously one with the flow.

Conscious union is yoga.

(before the forward of Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving in Stillness by Erich Schiffmann)

In other words, I am spending the evening writing Yoga paper(s). They are due tomorrow so there is no time like the present.

Yesterday we had a substitute instructor. She was quite fantastic. It's interesting to see how different people handle the same subject.

She was apt to discuss the history of Yoga--which was really interesting. I never actually knew what the word "Yoga" meant--it's a Sanskrit word that is translated to mean "to yoke" or "to join."

To join the mind, body, and spirit (of course).

Ironically enough, Buttercup just came into the office and did a perfect "downward dog." She is such a show-off. She is also *drumroll* a dog, so it makes sense.

I can't believe we'll only have three more sessions left. I'll miss my perfect pose (corpse/sponge) and all the breathing we do. It is something I plan on continuing.

There are several studios around town, and I keep hearing people rave about a couple of them, but Midtown Yoga seems to be right up my alley (and relatively close to the university).

What I've noticed over the last few weeks: lower blood pressure coupled with a new calmness and stillness. But I really should be putting that realization in one of my papers.

~~J

Submission Status:

under consideration: Your submission has been received and is being read by our editors.

Which is a nice thing to see as opposed to "REJECTED!"

REJECTED could, may will be coming soon enough (or in this case, they use PASS, but you don't get to collect $200)...

I read somewhere (in the back of my copy of The Bell Jar, I think) that Sylvia Plath received something like 47-rejection letters before her first short story appeared in a magazine.

Forty-Seven.

I have officially only received three rejections in my writing life, so I need to step up my game, right?

I only have two submissions floating around right now. TWO! But I will be sending out another this week...and this is an actual "hard" copy manuscript--and local (to the Memphis Magazine).

In other news, my friend Maureen is training for her SECOND marathon. That's right...second. She completed her first in 2007 (the New York City marathon) and I am quite sure that she said she'd never do another. HA!

I'm both impressed & inspired (with) by her!

More News:

• I purchased "less than" ten books at the used bookstore.
• I finished my 2nd week of Yoga (I hate downward dog, BTW)
• I finished the second installment of Jane Eyre. AMAZING!
• I edited another story for submission (see above).
• I'm adding three classes to my Fall semester (WHAT?)

~~J

Random(ness) from a Chick:

(Married to the Sea) ---------------------------------------------------------
Today is day SIX of working seven days in a row*...and I almost forgot (that I was working so many in a row).

Now, LAST week I was fuming about the whole idea--so apparently Yoga is doing a great job at relieving stress and relaxing me!

I'm not ASKING to work this much again, don't get me wrong--I'm just surprised at my general happiness and continued vigor.

*possible because it is split between two "work weeks."
---------------------------------------------------------
I started watching this version of Jane Eyre last night. Since I have yet to finish the book, maybe I am cheating a bit. BUT my goodness, I was on the verge of tears as the first installment ended (2 hours).

It doesn't takes Hollywood Magic or CGI to make my heart pitter. I'm a simple girl who loves watching tiny moments captured between people. (Which seems to be what I like to write as well).

I will have to wait for Netflix to send me the last installment (2 more hours).
---------------------------------------------------------
MORE from the Mouths of Professors:

• You can be 10 miles away taking a crap or eating some cheese and the next thing you know you’d be blown to smithereens!
• Suddenly at 5:30 Michael’s brain ruptures and he was just looking out the window...
• It’s just Scotty calling from the other world, if only we could all just be beamed up.
• The fly was actually Otto Terminex in another life.
• This is Keith Richard’s girlfriend...
• It’s not fantasy and it’s not the seat of his pants.
• This is astronomy; wonderful things are coming into the sky.
• A space ship landed in my yard from Mars..
• Magic is in all forms!
  

--------------------------------------------------------
So that was three distinct entries in one!

Random enough? Yes!

~~J

I'm not Drunk--

That's just my Yoga High!

Last night I said, "I feel drunk now," to a classmate as we were walking out of Yoga.

Yes, that was my profound first sentence after two hours of silence.

I thought about it all the way to the car (the statement). & then it hit me--that's the perfect way to describe my post-yoga-mood.

And I mean this in the second definition of the adjective "drunk" (at least according to Merriam-Webster):

2: dominated by an intense feeling [drunk with rage]

But ignore their rage example. It is more like--PEACE or HAPPY or like I could talk to the flowers.

We added a couple new poses:
cobra, sphinx, the fish, mountain-->standing side stretches

We also did some OM OM OM. Which is what a lot of people imagine when you mention Yoga. Or maybe that was just me several years ago.

I always imagined people sitting lotus-style (like up there in that picture) with their eyes closed, chanting. Well, last night we did the OM OM OM. And well, everyone was into it. Shocker.

OM: is reputed to be the resonant vibrational tone of the non-dualistic universe as a whole.

So there we have it.

~~J

Yoga Me This:

Day One.

aka the first time in my life (I know of) in which I didn't speak for over two hours.

If you know me--you know me.

If you don't know me--
this is big!

(I've been told that I even "sleep talk")

I had my first (for credit) yoga class this evening and I feel like jello.

I am still totally stress-free though and THAT is a serious plus! (I also have a feeling that I will sleep like a baby)

For those who have any clue about Yoga we did:

Sponge (aka Corpse)
Crocodile
Half locus
Dolphin
Downward facing dog
“Half lord of the fishes”
Bridge
Chair
Lion
Half bow
Triangle
Warrior II
“Single nostril breathing”
Legs-up-the-wall
Modified eagle

Of course, none of that is in sequence (nor is it everything). I just rifled through Google trying to find names of these poses. One cool thing about this class is that we do it--with the lights off. And you're so busy concentrating on yourself, that it is impossible to even remember the 19 other people around you.

Our instructor has been teaching Yoga since 1975. You do the math. He combines a lot of different "schools" and methods of yoga and was affiliated with the Himalayan Institute for a very long time.

I don't really know what all that means yet, but I can tell you that I am a master of the Sponge aka Corpse pose already.

And if you're not laughing your ass off over that yet, LOOK AT IT HERE.

~~J