Maybe I Should Rename This "My Yoga Blog"

I've been incredibly horrible at blogging lately...on purpose.  I'm still sassy and moody and all around grumpy.  Anyone want to hang out with me?  I'm super fun.  Actually, I'm trying to not be such a downer inperson.

I've turned January into Yoga Gluttony Month, in which I've now been going to 3 yoga studios 5 - 6 times per week.  Yesterday, I did a 4 hour aerial yoga workshop - and it was incredible.  I am SORE today.  Seriously SORE.  I'll post pics when I get them.

A mini-dream come true happened when I got home from work tonight.  I have a few yoga inspirations.  My personal yoga teachers that have taught me so much and touched me so profoundly.  And also a few "celebrity" ones, who I've never met but still make me want to aspire to become a better yogi.  Once of which is Kathryn Budig.  She's an amazing yogi who is phenomenal at arm balances (y'all know that those are my obsession).  Just last night, I was trying to get Ryan to take a Santa Monica trip with me, so that I could attend one of her classes at YogaWorks down there. 

SO.  I get home from work today and I see that Kathryn's Facebook page has posted that she'll be teaching 3 classes at (one of) MY YOGA STUDIO(s) in February!  You've got to be kidding me!  I feel so excited and so lucky to have this opportunity.  I'm signing up for those classes as soon as I can!

Crazy Yoga Lady Just Got Crazier

Now, I can add a third studio to my list.  I can't help it if the South Bay keeps cropping up with awesome yoga studios!  This one was truly too good to pass up.  It's opening up around the corner from my work.  It looks beautiful.  It offers so many different kinds of classes.  AND, if I signed up for unlimited monthly before they open on January 1, I get a special founders price of $85 per month for the life of my membership - unlimited.  Seriously.  I pay that for 8 x per month at Yoga Source right now.  Of course, I can't possibly leave Yoga Source...my beloved favorite teacher Angie is not (yet?) moving to the new studio.  In a perfect world, she will.  Until then, for the near and foreseeable future, I'll  be visiting 2 studio's regularly, and throwing in aerial yoga at either the third or this new one.

Luckily, Ryan's on board with it.  Whew.

Check it out!
www.breathelosgatos.com

Aerial Yoga

I went to my first aerial yoga class tonight.  I am ADDICTED already!!!!!  OH MY GOODNESS.  So much freaking fun!!

Here are the deets:

• You don't need to be an advanced yoga practitioner to do it.  In fact, you could be a beginner.
• It's at a new studio located near downtown Campbell
• The fabric hammocks that they use are in the following colors: off white, dark teal & light teal.  It's like it was made for me.
• To me, it wasn't intimidating.  Even hanging upside-down.  The hammock goes down to about waist high, so you're not up too high in the air.
• The teachers are super duper nice and make the whole experience relaxing.  Exactly what they should be like.
• It is a really nice way to get that yoga spirituality connection.
• I wouldn't say that it's difficult...but it's challenging.  It's not like arm balances difficult - but I just know that I'm going to be sore tomorrow.  Really great strengthening for you.
• There was a teacher assisting the class.  She said to me, "there's always one who wants to have fun.  And I can tell that you're that one."  He he.

I still love my power yoga, but I look forward to integrating this into my regular yoga practice!

Here is the studio's website...they also have a Facebook page, which features a lot of pictures of Aerial Yoga.  I posted a few below from their Facebook page, to give you an idea.

www.theyogastudio.biz
www.facebook.com/pages/The-Yoga-Studio/122819027754577?ref=sgm

Namaste!

I think I need a hobby

I haven't been blogging at all.  I thought I wouldn't put everyone in the worst mood ever by reading my daily or weekly thoughts.  I guess I'll just say that life has been unbelievably hard.  My emotions change by the minute, and as of right now, I've yet to feel any positive emotions toward my life.  I miss those.  See?  Now you know why I've been absent from blogging.

Right now all I want to do is swim and do power yoga.  Swimming is about to go by the wayside when the heat in our pool is turned off in November.  I'm thinking I might need something else to occupy my thoughts and time.  Any suggestions?

I miss you...

and love you more than anything.  And I'm so proud of you.

Grateful

Today marks the 6th day in a row that my dad has been doing well.  He's eating a lot better, can walk (barely is using the cane), and is sleeping better.  His blood test results were really positive and much better.

I know we have a lot of days ahead of us - and I know some are going to be bad - but I'm extremely grateful that my dad has felt better the last few days.  Being superstitious, I want to reiterate: Dear UNIVERSE, I am not jinxing anything and I fully understand how much longer this road is going to be.  I know it won't be all sunshine and rainbows and I am aware of how terribly wrong it can all go.  But I am happy for today, yesterday, and the four days before that.  OKAY?!  So don't go teaching me a lesson for opening my mouth.  Love, Nikki

My mom's best friend flew down from Oregon at the beginning of last week.  She has been such an immense help - having her around 24 / 7, and having her help be positive and productive, makes me want to cry. I'm grateful for her.

Lastly, I'm grateful for those of you that continue to still be there for us.  Special shout out to you McMillans.  We couldn't do this without all of you.  Sue has been the most incredible friend to my mom, my dad and all of us.  Jen has been so lovely.  Jeff & Liv have been so supportive and amazing.  And, oh yeah, we LOVE your company!  Thank YOU! :)

Thanks everyone for the well wishes, prayers, and positive thoughts.  It is most appreciative, and knowing that we have great friends has made a big difference.  Thanks for the love.

So...grateful.  Fingers crossed for more good days and beating this thing.  And, if I can be so bold to wish for more, some fat on my dad.  But I won't push it.

USA Shows

The shows on USA have been the entertainment highlight of my summer.  I can't get enough of them.  The quirky character shows all follow a similar formula that just works.  Quirky Main and Supporting Characters + Mystery / Ops + Mini Storylines with Ongoing Storylines in the back drop = USA show.  And I think that if it isn't broken, why fix it?

White Collar: Tied for first place in my heart.  The bromances between Neal & Peter and Neal & Mozzie are just plain awesome.  I love the storylines and seeing what sneaky thing Neal will do this time.  And Neal.  His charisma is hard to beat.  He rocks old 50's style suits and fedoras.

Psych: Tied for first place in my heart as well.  This show is hilarious and it makes me laugh so hard.  The bromance between Sean & Gus is amazing.  Seriously, I want to shrink and sit in one of their make-believe pockets for a day.  It is so dang quirky - after you become familiar with the characters, the jokes just make sense.

Royal Pains: In second place.  Summer escapism at its best.  It's convinced me that somehow I will stuff myself in some socialite's designer suitcase and get to experience the Hamptons.  Otherwise, I have this vision of there being border patrol and turning me away.  I digress.  The two brothers are great together, and the two women are extremely likeable.

Burn Notice: An watchable show.  If it were 45 minutes long, it would be great.  30 minutes would be too short; an hour just kind of drags out a little bit.  Not one I watch religiously, but can easily sit down and watch.

Covert Affairs: The new kid on the block.  It's not bad - the female lead isn't what you would call "the girl next door" - she tries to be, but there is something about her that is just not down to earth.  I guess Sydney Bristow set the bar high on Alias (as did Michael Vartan, lol).  I do, however, think her CIA handler is funny and having him blind adds a nice twist.  I'm looking forward to riding this one out.

In Plain Sight: Haven't tried to watch it and probably won't.  It's just never appealed to me.

NCIS: They show re-runs all the time of NCIS, which is one of our favorite shows.  Perfect!

So there you go.  The TVaholic has three shows (possibly four) two look forward to during the week, all on one station.  Layer that with So You Think You Can Dance, and I don't feel a summer TV lull at all.

P.S. This post is signficantly perkier than the last one, yes? 

Absent from Blogging

I haven't been blogging much lately, because I don't want my blog to turn into the most depressing blog in the world. 

Here are the reasons why I am removed from blogging:

• Dad has now been in the hospital 3 times since the beginning of June
• How he is doing changes hourly.  It's the most nerve-wracking thing in the world
• Radiation and Chemo are absolutely kicking his ass
• He weights around 130 lbs now...at 6'
• I got sick on Sunday and consequently haven't been able to see my family since then.  I would never forgive myself if I got my dad sick(er) and my mom could not handle being sick and caring for him
• My world revolves around my dad's illness...my thoughts, my actions, my dreams.  I've never been so terrified in my life, and I've had a really hard time finding the positive in this situation

Here are a couple good things this week:

• My dad's radiation oncologist said that his tumor is shrinking.  He also gained 3 lbs this week.
• They have been giving him IV fluids a lot, and he has been feeling better
• As a result, I experienced my first positive emotion in over a month
• For the first time, my subconscious dreamed of getting the news that the cancer is all gone.
• I have rainbow chip frosting in my fridge...which I will now go eat a couple spoonfuls of

 BTW, I still am adamant that he will beat this thing and live.  There is no alternative.  I just have to keep telling myself that.