Driste

Day Four and Still Nagging

So today was day four in SF for me. My leg was feeling a little bit better this morning at the starting gates, so perhaps I got a little overzealous. By Janu Sirsasana C, it was screaming in pain. The hamstring feels great in all poses except prasarita padottanasana, konasana, and kurmasana. It's the "peronial" muscles that are killing me. I am putting them in quotes because I'm not sure I've got the spelling, or even the name, quite right. So, if any of you anatomy geeks know, could you tell me if I'm hitting the nail on the head here? I guess I could google it. But I'm on my friend's computer, and its not nearly as speedy as my G4 powerbook. So I avoid "surfing" at all costs. Anyways, my whole practice suffered tremendously due to these tiny muscles along the lateral side of my left calf. I considered stopping after JS C, but thought I could just slow things down a bit and modify where I needed to. Still hurt, though. Taking my leg out of lotus gives me searing pain. By Uth Pluthi I was almost in tears.

Still, it is great to be here. And seeing as India is a far off dream for me, this really could be my once in a lifetime opportunity to practice with Gurugi. His sense of humor in the practice kills me. "Eh! Chatwari! Bad Lady." And the count in Uth Pluthi: "1...............2........3................4.........
2............3.......4....5......
5........6.....7......8.....9......9......9.......One more......
9.....One more.....9.....10!" After practice, I watched the intermediate practice with my Cal Poly friend I found yesterday. Oh wow. I really have never seen all of this practiced. Some of these practitioners were so strong, but what amazed me was the grace they brought to their practice. Tim Miller was there, in the front row. There were some funny moments between him and SKPJ. Apparently my Poly friend didn't know who he was. Guruji was helping him in Karandavasana and a few other poses, and my friend asked, "why haven't they sent him to the back?" Pretty funny. "Because it's Tim Miller." I didn't really know what else to say than that. I could have launched into his history with SKPJ, how much he's done for Ashtanga in the west, but I didn't feel all that entitled and educated myself, so I refrained.

The Dental Assistant never made it to practice today. She was late (lateness is a chronic condition for so many people), so she just turned around and drove back to San Rafael. I'm glad it was just that, because I was pretty worried in her absence. Today was the day I was going to go gallavanting around the city in my trainers. Instead I'm bound to Potrero Hill with an ice pack strapped to one leg. I don't want to irritate the injury anymore by hiking all over town. I want to be able to practice tomorrow. But if tomorrow's like today, I'll probably have to roll up my mat and sit on the sidelines and try not to cry. So so frustrating.

Oh, so my evening with the Bitter Non-Bridesmaid went well last night. It's not that she's bitter really. Just overly sensitive, and then tries to hide the sensitivity. I really don't know where we left things, but I had a good time visiting with her and with her running team. Lots of talk of yoga. They were all fairly fascinated that I was up here for a whole week for just one yoga class per day. I showed them a picture of Guruji, then we launched into the subject of yoga as a lifestyle. "He's 90? He looks 75. I've heard yoga keeps you young." Yes, and running consecutive marathons kills your knees. I didn't actually say that. I used to be a runner myself. I was in two fairly serious car accidents within about a year, and that nearly ended my days of running. Too much chronic neck, back, and hip pain. Ironic thing is.... I took up yoga so I could get back to running. Then I quit running for yoga. All things in life happen for a reason.

We talked about having a guru. Their running coach is their guru. They likened Ashtanga yoga to a cult. "So you do this everyday even when you get hurt? and even though you get injuries?" Yeah, so do you runners. Then the coach mentioned they have received a sponsorship from Saucony so they could all wear matching shoes. Hmmmm.... fairly reminiscent of Heaven's Gate and their Nikes. So I reminded them all that if a sponsorship from Kool-Aid was mentioned, they'd better jump ship, fast. They run in Golden Gate park, so I guess instead of Heaven's Gate, they'd be Golden Gate.

We also talked about scrabble last night. Which is my favorite game of all time. No. Really. I'm not kidding. Ideal night for me: a game of scrabble with two or three fun and worthy opponents, along with several bottles of wine. We used to have a weekly scrabble night with The Twin and The Pelt (my ex-roommate math teacher. He is very proud of his pelt). The Pelt is in it for the big words. If you go for a high-scoring word like AXE with a double letter score under the X, he'll never let it go. Absolutely criminal in his eyes. Who knew a high school math teacher could be so well versed in vocabulary??? Such a renaissance man, that Pelt.I've got to bring those good times back.

Off to do some hot-cold contrast in the tub. And maybe clean The Waitress' apartment before she gets home from work. Day 5 tomorrow (hopefully). Then lunch with the folks, and then home and husband!!!!

Missing Home....

Okay, don't get me wrong. I appreciate SF on so so many levels. First off, there's the endless supply of things to do, see, etc. Secondly, I hope all you SF folks seriously appreciate the number of great places you have at your fingertips to eat. I could choose of any two great Thai restaurants in San Luis Obispo. And as for fine dining, we're getting better, but nowhere near what you have to offer in this city on the hill. Amazing. I only wish I had the cash flow to enjoy. Alas, I am stirfrying tofu and vegetables from Trader Joes to save some bucks for rent come MayDay. But I'm getting homesick. It's probably due to the fact that I haven't heard my husband's voice since last Tuesday, or maybe that I haven't had a weekend at home in a while... Or maybe because I'm spending so much time alone in a big city.

I'm staying with my friend, who works every night and goes to school during the day. I knew that from the get-go, and really, I'm not complaining. If I have a good book, my iPod and a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine, currently) I'm happy as a clam. But I do feel a bit confined to Potrero Hill. I'm afraid of getting lost, I guess. Tomorrow, I conquer those fears and venture out via MUNI. Today, I huddle in the apartment and the coffee shop up the street and immerse myself in my current fiction reading. Fascinating, really. It's called Middlesex, by Jeffery Eugenides (wrote the Virgin Suicides). It's a Pulitzer Prize winner about an incestuous greek family, narrated by the hermaphrodite this incest created. Gets better and better by the page. Very original (as was The Virgin Suicides) and highly recommended by Yours Truly.

But I'm steering myself off track. Back to my vacation. Last night I headed down to San Jose to visit with my ex-roommate from college. She's a marketing blah blah something over at TiVo, consequently.... I just got TiVo! Anyways, we headed down to Santana Row for some drinks and dinner. Started off with a little "I Wish" shopping at my favorite spot, Anthropologie. I somehow resisted most everything (restraint or poverty?) and left with an awesome wrap that was 85% off. That's $10, baby. Next, over to Vintage for some wine tasting. And I was horrified at their prices. Okay, not at their prices, but at the crap they were trying to hawk at those prices. The menu says: Burgundy, Cote d'Or, 2002. $8.00. And that's $8.00 for a 2-oz pour. So I ask the gentleman, what Cru? Thinking to myself, it's got to be at least premier cru. No, not even close. Village cru. That bottle's probably $12 retail, worth about $18 in a cellar two years from now, and they're theiving unsuspecting Burgundy newbies of their hard-earned cash for a village cru? Depressing. I think my favorite part about having any wine knowledge is the lack of expectation I'm faced with from others in the industry. I'm 25, look 22, maybe 23. Granted, I have so much to learn. I'm learning every day. But I feel like I'm constantly having to prove myself to those in the industry. Because even when I see young people showing up at the winery, I judge. Oh, they're out for a cheap buzz. So until I divulge my place of employment, I automatically get the cold shoulder from retailers, tasting room attendants, even waiters. If I give them my card, their attitude towards me changes in an instant. It really is quite a sight to see.

Sorry, babbling again. So back to last night. We left the wine bar and finally decided on a place called (Scratch, I think? Something like that). So good, and so fun! Everything's family style, indian, thai, indonesian cuisine on the menu. I ate too much, so the drive back to the city was an exercise in consciousness. Seriously, I was slapping myself in the face to keep myself awake.

Woke up this morning ready to be free from all my nagging injuries from yesterday. Better, but definitely still nagging. Before we got started, I ran out to grab something from my purse, and ran into an old Cal Poly acquaintance! I haven't seen her in years. I thought I had recognized her yesterday, but thought maybe it was a hallucination from all that pain I was in. And there she was! As coincidence would have it, she practiced right behind me. Such a small world. Not just that I'm here in SF, and there she is, but that we both found Ashtanga after we had known each other. It was fun to catch up on things a bit, I hope she's there tomorrow as well. Practice was fast today. When we finished the fundamental poses and started on the seated, I was wondering if we had missed something because it was just flying by. Of course we hadn't, it must have just been a faster count. Or maybe I'm getting used to the space and all the people (I usually practice on my own) and Guruji's count. I only received one adjustment today, in Pindasana. Because of my hamstring and my strained "peronial muscles" (that's what Yellow thinks my injury is. She went to Physical Therapy school. But isn't a physical therapist. Shes on to much more noble things.), I can't get a very deep padmasana. So I couldn't grab my hands in this pose. Saraswati came over and helped. I don't know her, never had any kind of conversation beyond "Thank you, Namaste, enjoy your day," but she just carries about an air of graciousness, humbleness, and elegance. Just an observation. Beyond this, another challenging day of accepting my limitations due to injury. But enjoyable, all the same.

This afternoon I attended a staff tasting at my temporary SF roommate's restaurant, Jack Falstaff's. Okay, she doesn't own the restaurant, but she waits tables. Today's topic was, delightedly, Burgundy wine from the Cote d'Or. Hooray! We learned, we tasted, and everybody speculated as to who the hell I was. "Who's the new girl?" I love being shrouded in mystery. I just love the word shrouded. Tonight, I visit with one of Yellow's good friends. There's currently some slight drama regarding Yellow's bachelorette party. Here's a little history regarding Yellow. Not only is she my friend of all friends, she's more like my pseudo-sister. She hated me without knowing me my freshmen year of highschool, so I hated her back. By sophomore year, we were inseparable. By junior year, due to some unfortunate family circumstances, she moved in with my family. We graduated to B-cup together within the same month (a feat I had been dreaming about since I was fourteen). She kept growing in this regard. I think I regressed in years past to a Barely B. She was my maid of honor and my only "bridesmaid". She is one of the most hard-working, considerate, genuine, hilarious persons I have ever met. And she's getting married to one hell of a guy in September. For her wedding party: Family only. Including Pseudo-Sisters! She and her husband-to-be even asked my mother to become ordained for the day to marry them! So great. In any case, one of her friends in particular was a little disappointed she wasn't in the wedding, so they wanted to plan the bachelorette party. I learned of this a few weeks ago, after I had already offered to plan. Yellow called to ask if I minded handing it over. Not in the least. As long as I can be there in any way possible for Yellow. I don't care who plans the party, I just want it to be exactly what she wants. Honestly. So I wrote an email to this girl, basically saying I think she should plan it, since it seems to mean so much to her and it would mean so much to Yellow for her to be a part of everything since she was forced to choose for bridesmaids.... blah blah blah.... Lots of little, baby wedding drama.... more stress than Yellow needed.... Now I'm trying to graciously hand over the planning without hurting anyone's feelings or embarrassing anyone. I really want to shake this girl by the shoulders and say, "what's the big deal? Just cause you're not in someone's wedding does not mean you don't mean the world to them." and beyond that, why go to the bride and bitch? She's already under enough stress and strain, by god. And Yellow being who Yellow is, I know she's losing sleep at night thinking about her friends' feelings, and wishing she hadn't hurt them. Ugh. Weddings. So I'm off to soothe over some hurt feelings and smile and kiss-up and hope that in the end, they agree to the task they wanted so badly (and now deny they wanted in order to save face), they were willing to hurt their best friend Yellow's feelings: to plan her bachelorette party. Wish me luck, this may take some serious restraint.

SF with Guruji & Co.

Its just day two, and I feel like I got hit with a mack truck. But allow me to backtrack a bit.

Saturday night sushi with The Samurai was a blast. Lots of great food, awesome people, and good sake. Two people were there who I haven't seen for years, and it was so great to catch up on things with them. Joe was there, a really good friend who I completely lost touch with. Hopefully we won't lose touch again, as I really did value his friendship and we always have such a great time talking and hanging out. After dinner, we all went out (gulp) downtown. I must have thought I was a rockstar or something. All that sake, then switching it up to grey goose on the rocks, I think 3, maybe 4 of those. Got home and in bed by 2:30. Woke up bright eyed and bushwacked at 6. Could not fall back asleep.

I wasn't planning on going to led primary on Sunday, since it was a moonday and I was worried about injuring myself before SF. But I went anyways because I really wanted to see my friend Jenn. Sho 'nuff: an injury ensued. After prasarita padottanasana, Jenn switches it up and has us come down into center splits, then hanumanasana. She was playing with my hips in hanumanasana, working them back, then squaring them up. I felt a POP, then a somewhat crippling pain in my hamstring. I'm pretty sure its just a strain or a mild pull, but its really effecting my practice here in SF. Kurmasana is just kind of a joke now, as is Upavishta Konasana A. But I breathe through it. After practice, I packed up all my stuff and headed up to the city!
I'm staying with a friend who I used to work with, and it's so great to see her. Her place is tiny, so I'm trying to do whatever I can to make up for the space I'm taking. Two mornings in a row I've woken up before the alarm went off, so I haven't woken her up yet.

Sunday night I could not sleep to save my life. It was one of those: Good god, it's 10:00. I really need to fall asleep. Fall asleep. Please, just fall asleep! Nothing doing all night. I think I was also a little nervous and excited, but mostly I just psyched myself out of sleep by putting so much pressure and importance on it. So my earlier statement of me waking up before the alarm was not quite true. I was awake all night. By the time 4:30 rolled around, I was just like: Fuck it, I'm getting up.

I got to the Regency by 5:10, I think. I was one of about 3 other people there, so my mat was placed right in the front row. GULP. I was sitting next to a nice lady from Portland, and a whole crew of Brazilian beauties. I saw Cameron and Neti, and it was funny how I recognized them instantly from seeing maybe just one picture from their blogs. The family came in, and I felt an instant and overwhelming sense of gratitude for them. Gratitude for them being there, and gratitude for what they teach and the sense of community they have instilled among Ashtangis. I'm pretty new to this practice. But I've never felt a dedication or connection to anything else like I have to my practice. Besides my marriage, I suppose.

Practice began, and guruji's count was fast. I warmed up pretty quick and rolled out my mysore rug by the third Surya Namaskara B. Guruji was moving around a lot throughout the first few rows, adjusting folks here and there. My first adjustment came in Marichyasana D. First side, Guruji was pulling and pushing and grunting and straining. I was doing all of these as well, but also trying not to laugh. For those of you who were there, if that count seemed long, well it was because of me. Sorry. My fingers were touching, but I couldn't bind. Vinyasa, then other side. I was in it in a flash, and Guruji said, "You did. Good." Very cool, since I haven't been able to bind in that pose for months. Other moments of note: Urdvha Mukka Paschimottanasana. We held this FOREVER. It was painful really, and that's usually not an asana I have any trouble with. Guruji adjusted me towards the end when I was starting to sink, and he folded me back up, walked away, and I immediately slumped back down. Just couldn't hold it with much juice anymore. Uth Pluthi. I had read about the long Uth Pluthis. It was long. Don't get me wrong. But I thought it was going to be longer. After practice, I quickly introduced myself to Cameron, Neti, and Mrs. neti, then back to the apartment for some serious napping.

Today's practice was a challenge for me. I got there later, couldn't find parking, so was somewhere in the middle of the pack. Sharath and Saraswati were there, adjusting and helping folks, but I didn't make as much of a connection as I had the day before. But that could be due to the intense pain I was feeling. Not only is my hamstring crying out in every deep forward bend, I have some kind of pinched nerve along the outside of my left leg, just below my knee. I almost yelped the first time I pulled that leg into half lotus. And I almost got up and quit halfway through because I was so afraid of further injury. It is, after all, only Tuesday. But I just gingerly suffered through, taking extra care with each movement. I tried to modify in Marichyasana B by putting my left leg (with care) on the floor instead of half lotus, but Sharath was not having it. "Put your leg up." "I can't, injured knee." "you try." Really? "Yes, you try." Okay, so I did it and bound, but not without an instant of stabbing pain. Just that pain in the beginning, then it's fine. Very strange. Other than that, another long Urdvha Mukka Paschimottanasana, and a longer still Uth Pluthi. I can definitely feel myself getting stronger, even if I can't hold myself up for the entire Uth Pluthi count.

I miss my husband and my dog. But I know they're both having a great week. Hubby's in Baja smacking the lip and pulling 360's (whatever those are). Kula's at Grandma's playing all day with her best buddy. Me, I'm off to finally get some coffee in the city and read a book.

Used Books

I love used bookstores. I love the smell of them. I love the jumbled shelves of dog-eared, yellowed, well-loved paperbacks and the shiny, new, unimpressive autobiographies of ex professional wrestlers that were probably an unwanted gift. The used book is like an unopened oyster. You dive and wade through shelves with no organization beyond subject (and even the subject is so broad: Philosophy or Excercise) and come out with this shell of a book. Looks like it could be a good one. Looks enjoyable. Most oysters are. You buy it or trade for it, take it home, open it up, and find the Pearl. For me, the Pearl is that book that someone else has picked apart, analyzed, left notes in the margins, scrawled a name on the inside cover, marked a page with a lost business card or cocktail napkin.

I shopped for a friend's birthday gift today. It's a perfect day for a used bookstore: cold and rainy. Tonight is The Samurai's birthday. She's not really a samurai, she just loves to read about samurai. She confided to me once that she stays up half the night looking up "Samurai" on google. Kind of like me looking up "Ashtanga." I've been trying to get her into Yoga for eons, and I've finally succeeded. Hence she's had my David Swenson book for a good month and a half. Which is fine, because I've had her embroidered chinese reversable gorgeous jacket for the same amount of time. Tit for Tat. I was attempting to find her a book either about samurai or yoga. I found a book that I don't even want to give up to her. But maybe she'll let me borrow it someday. It's called "The Awakened Warrior: Living with Courage, Compassion & Discipline." Here's an excerpt from the back:

"Warriors throughout history, from Japanese samurai to Martin Luther King, Jr. have cultivated courage, compassion, discipline, intelligence, loyalty, and self-knowledge. These noble traits are part of the warrior spirit, an archetypal pattern that can be found in those who face the challenges of our time head-on.

Today the warrior spirit is alive among fierce ecologists, vocal feminists, relentless educators, conflict negotiators, martial arts practitioners, global political activists, minority organizers, innovators in the arts, people fighting terminal disease, and anyone committed to action in the face of adversity.

The Awakened Warrior covers enlightened approaches to struggle in all walks of life, from loving, working, and illness to the arenas of political activism and spiritual combat with our inner enemies. The rich diversity of this timely collection will serve to illuminate and encourage the warrior's spirit in us all."

Ooooooooooooooooo it looks good. No pearls that I can see, though. Tonight we will celebrate The Samurai's birthday with sushi in the tatami room at Tsurugi's, my favorite sushi haunt. I think The Samurai's roommate (who will be now known as The Feisty One) is planning on giving her a Samurai initiation ceremony of some sort. We celebrated The Feisty One's birthday in the same manner (minus the Samurai ceremony) but instead of a Samurai theme, there was a Rite Aid theme. All the gifts were rite-aid gift certificates. I feel a little guilty giving The Samurai this great book after giving The Feisty One a $4 rite-aid gift certificate. Eh. One man's treasure is another man's trash, I guess.

Off to find appropriate wrapping material for the warrior book. Any ideas?

Is it Thursday? Feels like Friday. Or Monday?

Today was a great day. With one exception. Tay's gone to Baja, and I won't see him til next Friday. It always feels like a Monday the first day he's gone. Like it's the first day of a long week without him. Boooo. On the other hand, I had a great day today. All day it felt like a Friday. Since Tay's out of town, I could practice after work today, so I slept in and took the pup for a little walk over to the park. She's been so down lately since the Republican has been too busy to take her for runs. I'm thinking of taking her to a vet, she just seems pretty lethargic as of late. Can't imagine how down she'll be when The Republican moves out next week. It was very nice, however, to see her running like a greyhound after birds and butterflies. It's amazing to see her in action. She's an English Setter, and a bird-dog through and through. And it was a beautiful morning. Work today was.... different. It was Cleaning Day, so no normal desk work, just cleaning out sh.t and throwing stuff away. Unfortunately, the dust was FLYING so my allergies were acting up like Crazy. We had a BBQ for the vineyard workers today to celebrate the finish of shoot thinning. BT provides Carne Asada, the vineyard ladies crew provides incredible authentic beans, homemade tortillas, rice, salsa, and nopales, and the winery crew (us city slickers) bring salads and desserts. The food is GRUB. I only wish I could have eaten more! Normally I'm unhappy with my trendy jeans for the way they show off my underwear a la Britney Spears. Today, All I have to say is, Thank the Spirit for low rise jeans. Otherwise my engorged waistline would be causing some serious discomfort. After lunch, The Good and I shot some hoops to try to work off some of the glut gut. I think I impressed The Good with my super shots on the outside. What, just cause I'm afraid of spiders, "do" yoga, and wear heels I'm not an athlete? Please. My female coworkers scoff at any sign of femininity. I'm considered girly. But I hardly ever wear make-up (by make-up I mean mascara and eyeliner, not the four layers of powder and spackle other women wear), I don't do my hair, I don't wear perfume (unless I'm on a date with Tay).... My god, I'm not that feminine, people! Sorry, I digress. Back to my awesome day. After work, I went home and took the dog for another great walk. Then I got my practice in. It was different today. I noticed yesterday in my practice that I hold my breath sometimes when I am really focusing on my bandhas, like in jump throughs and the lift up after utkatasana and supta kurmasana. So instead of leading my breath, I focused on letting my breath lead me. Huge difference. Good practice, big breakthrough in kurmasana, got my legs straight for the first time, and I was able to lift my heels for like 3 seconds. Hence, a very deep supta K. I was reaching reaching reaching for the bind, then POP in my shoulder. I panicked and came out, Oh no Oh no Oh no, but it felt okay, so I went back in and finished my practice, no sweat. Well, some sweat, no pain. The Republican came home, and treated me to dinner at a fancy-pants restaurant in Morro Bay! The waitress asked us about the wine we brought, so I gave her my card and The Republican told her that he was a rep for one of the restaurant's brokers, et voila! Special Treatment! Window's on The Water in Morro Bay. Great wine list, beautiful presentation of food, amazing clam chowder (says The Republican), reasonably priced, and great oysters. We brought a bottle of Estate Pinot, drank a glass each, and left the rest for the wait staff to enjoy while they closed up shop. I have doggie bags galore for lunch tomorrow. At home watched the newest episode of my favorite show, ER. Now its bedtime, and my day is no longer great. Why? Because Tay's in Baja and I'm not with him and he's not with me. Booooo.

Happy Earth Day, Everyone. Please remember: Earth Day is Every Day!

Cowgirl Jenna

Cowgirl Jenna
Originally uploaded by jennasuz.

I'm always happy when I'm playing in the dirt. Check out the hat. Stole it from Nacho, one of our cellar-rats. Yee haw, vaqueros!

Daniel 1

Daniel 1
Originally uploaded by jennasuz.

Our teacher, Daniel Martinez. Very patient, especially with those of us who try to speak in Spanish without knowing Spanish. (Que Paso! Ole!)

Learning

Learning
Originally uploaded by jennasuz.

Okay, so shoot thinning isn't rocket science.... but it ain't easy.

rows

rows1]
Originally uploaded by jennasuz.

More views from Stone Corral Vineyard.

The Valley

row valley
Originally uploaded by jennasuz.

The Beautiful Arroyo Grande Valley