Wonderful Wednesday

I’m feeling much better today thankfully. My nose shifted from runny to just stopped up so it doesn’t feel raw anymore, and my headache has finally gone away. I went over all the various questions I had with my doctor and he was nice enough to get me drug samples to try out first for free. He said the asthma stuff is even known to help with allergies and that I should just try that at first and only add the allergy stuff if I’m still having trouble.

I took the bus home and got a bit of a walk in by accidentally getting off one stop too early. I was feeling well enough that I managed to keep my momentum up and just drop off my stuff and grab my dance shoes and bike back to campus for dance class. Class was fun as always, and funny as it often is. Samba and salsa also are fast enough to really get my heart rate up, so I got some needed exercise in.

Papa is coming tomorrow so I’m looking forward to getting to spend some time with him.

I also found out that if my back is bothering me I can just tense my abs up and it helps, which is easier than having to stretch it out.

Khalua may be crazy & evil, but she’s so cute and warm when she’s laying on top of me purring and kneeding & sucking on the blanket. Kitties make wonderful heat pads on cool nights.

The western redbuds along Putah Creek are flowering, so there are patches of hot pink clouds along the bike path now. And the magnolia trees with their giant pale pink and white blossoms look like out of proportion cherry trees.

From the October 2001 O magazine article “Life at the Peak” by Suzanne O’Malley:
“Instead of sitting at my desk from 9:30am to 6:30pm – working at one-third efficiency all day long – Jim had me work three 90-minute chunks. That was it. I doubled my output. It made me believe this principle of sprint and recovery really works.”

And THAT is why I so much want to either be my own boss, so I can work that way – and reclaim 3-4 hours a day! – or at least not be in a union position where I’m forced to work hourly instead of salaried.

Also from that article about the LGE Performance System:
Habits of Champions

  • Go to bed and wake up early (preferably 10:30pm and 5:30am, respectively). Studies show that seven to seven and a half hours of sleep per night is optimal in order to build, repair, and maintain the immune system and to repair tissue.
  • Eat three small meals and three small snacks a day. (A meal should be between 400-600 calories; a snack, between 100 and 200 calories.)
  • Drink 48 to 64 ounces of water a day.
  • Exercise 120 to 180 minutes, spread over the course of the week.
  • Take a break from whatever you’re doing every 90 minutes. Even a five minute walk will do; the point is to change your rhythm and reenergize yourself.

Other great quotes from the magazine:
“Things are always falling apart. You could be alarmed about that. Or you could look at it another way and say that thinga are always fresh, continually new.” – Pema Chodron

“The average human being thinks that happiness lies in stability, in tying up all the loose ends and having things under control. But actually, happiness lies in being able to relax with our true condition, which is basically fleeting, dynamic, fluid, not in any way solid, not in any way permanent. It’s transient by nature.” – Pema Chodron

Considering I’ve just started to look at and consider my control issues, this is HUGE, and great timing. I keep telling myself that once I take of this thing or that thing I’ll be able to relax and be less stressed, and I’ve been noticing that it has been seeming like one thing after the other for… I dunno, ages now. But that’s life! Life is one moment after another, and each brings something new to learn or deal with. I just need to evaluate how I deal with things and maybe learn to live in and enjoy the moment more.

Speaking of which, Khalua wants my lap, so I’m done for now!