The Skirt that was a Teddybear

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When I was in highschool I used to call very good days ‘love’ days in my journal.  As in, ‘Today was a love day’.  Today was not that for me but in the same spirit I would call today a Sun Day.  K’s job isn’t a normal 9-5 job.  Sometimes he has to leave very early in the morning.  Sometimes not until mid-afternoon.  In a way it’s nice because everyday can be different somehow.  But the suburban in me longs for routines and schedules you can count on.  This morning felt like a day that could be someone’s routine.  K was driving into town and the timing worked out that he could drop me off at yoga class.  We were even able to do some early morning grocery shopping before heading downtown. It was a very lite FM kind of morning.

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I loved it.

After two weeks of dedicated attendance ( 11 of 14 days) Sarah and I came to the the end of our new student discount at Open Space Yoga.  The sadness is that we’ve been able to go to an unlimited amount of classes for only $30.  We saved over $100.  We’ll definitely go back for classes with Murti and to try the Yin Yoga class which we didn’t get to do.  But next week we’re moving on to a new place.  More than likely Manoa Yoga Center.

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Sarah and I were going to try lunch at Mix afterwards because neither of us had been.  It was really crowded and I suggested we go back to Nuuanu and eat at Indigo.  We’d passed it on the way and Sarah said it was a buffet style lunch that was rather good.  And it smelled good!  So we splurged and had a little bit of a fancier lunch.

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Yum!

It was a very decadent day.

Sometimes talking to Sarah is like a Master Class on Hawaii for me.  She drove me back home to Kailua and on the way she was telling me about Mu’u mu’u Heaven–a little shop in Kailua that carries dresses and apparel made out of vintage mu’u mu’u’s.  The store is tucked in behind Foodland.  Its’ so awesome that I’ve passed the turn countless times and never knew it was there.

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So many lovely things– dresses, skirts, tops, jewelry, bags…  When Obama was last here he donated his Toot’s mu’u mu’us to the store and the designer made a bow tie and cummerbund for him out of the material.   I pulled a post-Holly Hobbie/ Laura Ingalls type skirt off the rack and told Sarah that I loved it so much that I could feel it in my stomach but that I would never wear it.  Rather I’d sleep with it every night like a teddy bear forever.

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Shortly after Sarah dropped me off I got a call on my cell from an unfamiliar Long Island telephone number.  I tentatively answered assuming that it was a wrong number.  Turned out to be a friend of someone that K and I both know back in NY.   We got a message that  this woman was going to be in town and didn’t know anyone aside from the friend she was staying with and that friend was going to be working much of the time she was here.  I very off-handedly sent a message saying she could call me and I’d meet her if I could.

I answered and she said she was at the beach (which is right across the street) did I have time to come out.  My instinct was to say I couldn’t because I was tired and had alot of writing I wanted to do.  But I told her to come over and after I had some time to change we could go to the beach and swim.

It was unexpectedly a very relaxing  and pleasant afternoon.  Sunah was very nice.  We ended up spending a long time bobbing in the water and talking about all types of things.  I’m really glad that I behaved counter intuitively and met up with her. Maybe there’s hope for my Aloha spirit afterall!

These are the cookies she left behind:

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To drive or not to drive

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I drove ALOT today.  First, I drove all the way to Chinatown (with K in the passenger seat) to meet Sarah for yoga.  I also drove around Kailua for our errands in the afternoon.  It felt good except for slamming on the brakes at a yellow light and then driving on the wrong side of the road in Chinatown.  While on the winding Pali Highway I just kept reminding myself of what Annie told me:

  1. if she can do it I definitely can
  2. drive 35 miles an hour, or as slow as I like (who cares, let them pass!)

There was a little yellow VW bug on the road basically riding on it’s brakes.  I stayed behind it pretty much the whole way into town.  I smiled and told K that I liked her style and I was perfectly content to follow her.  As we passed the car closer to town, K glanced at the driver and I said ‘what’s that lady look like?’  He burst out laughing and said she’s an old lady.  I’m perfectly happy to be in the driver category of slower-than-an-old-lady.  I think a few more times with K and I can probably drive into town alone.  Parking is a totally different story.

We were supposed to take class with Murti today but we had a great substitute.  Here’s a brief review of our yoga teachers so far:

  • Murti- awesome
  • Jai Ma- awesome fantastic
  • Brigitte- very good; wonderful intention

I think we’ve sampled everyone at Open Space except for 2 or 3 teachers.  The three above are people I would go back to again and again.  Brigitte also teaches at a place just two miles from our home called Aloha Yoga Kula.  I’m looking forward to trying their teachers after our new student discount expires at Open Space.

Here is the cutest padded envelope I’ve ever seen from Kailua’s Post Office:

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Oh Bama

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This is my last post before Obama becomes President.  After the election my rabid enthusiasm dwindled but in the last few hours I’ve begun to feel emotional about tomorrow.  It’s an exciting time: New Year,  MLK day, the Inauguration, K’s birthday, and then Monday is the start of Lunar New Year–like a categorical clean slate.

Sarah and I have gone to yoga at Open Space everyday since Saturday.  I’m amazed at how easily I’ve been able to relax back into it.  The great thing about Open Space is that the teachers are very present, skilled, and you feel that they really want to help you.  It seems like a good mix of skill levels among the students.  The fact that I can’t say for sure is really a testament to how well they run their classes.  I’m not focused on other people.  I’m comfortable enough to concentrate on my own practice and not feel the self-consciousness  or competitiveness you find in lesser schools.  I miss class with Dharma but this place is very special and I’ll absorb many benefits while I’m here.

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I didn’t really understand why the school says it’s in the Historic Arts District of Chinatown but the picture above is Nu’uanu Gallery at Marks Garage one of the storefronts I passed on the way to class.  It was small but had really interesting contemporary work.  Speaking of which I wish I was in NY to visit this: Can. Did.

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When Sarah was driving me home the other day she kept asking me where to turn and I just kept yapping away forgetting to tell her how to get to my condo.  I told her it’s because I have this idea that she knows everything about Hawaii.  It seemed natural that she would know how to get me home even though she’d never been there.  Things that Sarah has shared with me that I find interesting:

and lucky Mochi for New Year to put on your dashboard.

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Finally here’s a video I really liked today.  Happy Obama Day everyone.  I pledge to be more gentle and find ways to help others in whatever way and whenever I can.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “MySpace Celebrity and Katalyst presen…“, posted with vodpod

Om

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Sarah and I took a yoga basics class at Open Space Yoga today.  It was GREAT.  The class was with a teacher named Murti who Brenda recommended.  He had really good energy and I learned a few new things.  He lead the class with a mixture of humor, spirituality, and knowledge.  It was a pleasure.  I felt relaxed and energized after class.  We signed up for the new student discount of unlimited classes for two weeks for $30.  We’re going to try to go everyday this week.

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In the afternoon K and I went to Kaimuki to a little shop called Lily Lotus that specializes in yoga clothing and accessories.  I got a great mat bag and some new stuff to wear.

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