Ice and Elevate

I managed to limp to/from my Lions Club meeting, and in and out of many other meetings this week after getting a (common, and a bit embarrassing) foot injury while practicing my routines.  "Ice and elevate, see a doctor if it doesn't improve in a few days." I do believe that this is the first time I've ever read advice on the WebMD website that didn't make me want to run screaming to the nearest ER.

Teaching exercise makes me feel amazing.  That said, along with teaching exercise, it's important to model good self-care. 

With this in mind, I have temporarily stopped practicing my routines.  I've limited my mobility for a few days and I'm currently using my periods of morning solitude as extra ice/elevate time.  My inner Introvert is absolutely ecstatic!  This is an extra reason to rest up and read my books...

Keep on Introverting!

Returning toThe Church

For the first time in over a year, I sat down with a member of the Church and made my confessions, read the Act of Contrition, and followed through with an act of Penance.

Church is an uneasy topic because religious ideologies (or lack thereof) are as dear to our personal makeup as is DNA. There is something to be said for celebrating whatever you believe in the world.  There is so much negativity surrounding this topic that I feel an infusion of positivity might be warranted.

For those of you who are curious, this is what the Church means to me:

* Comfort
* Fellowship
* Art

As Stephen Sondheim once famously wrote for the stage, "Mama they're good, just as you said from the start, children and art." I am a renewed Catholic.  I am not proud nor am I ashamed.  I'm simply happy to be among friends and family in a forum where I can be alone with my God while being a part of something greater than myself.

Knitting, Radio Spots, Relay, Radio Spots, Work, Reading, Radio Spots

The Potsdam Lions Club is in the midst of selling spots for B99.3's Radio Days...this is a very generous activity that allows our club to raise funds for things like vision scanners for our community.  You may speak with any Potsdam Lions Club member and fill out a form, and for a relatively small donation, get a small spot on the radio in mid-March.  This is taking up some of my time this month.  But, wait, there's more!

Relay for Life is coming up in early April.  The Potsdam Lions Club is participating in the SUNY Potsdam Relay for Life event (Disney theme) as "The Lion Kings." For every $30 my team raises, I knit and donate a bright (Lion yellow) scarf to a local organization.  Last year, I donated my (Wicked Witch green) scarves to the on-campus food/supply bank.  This year, the receiving organization has yet to be determined.   Between knitting and fundraising, I'm definitely keeping busy!

Non-charity activities are on the docket during Winter and early Spring as well...we're gearing up for new aid year activities at SUNY Potsdam.  It's never boring, I'll tell you that much.   In addition, I have my weekly Zumba Fitness class via CLEAR on Sunday afternoons.  My students are doing very, very well.

Some of you may have noticed that I'm on a Stephen King kick lately.  I've been alternating between his books and Elizabeth George's books.  Mystery, mayhem, murder...huzzah!  I read an article recently that indicated that a woman's energy levels are positively impacted by aerobic exercise, caffeine, and murder mysteries.  Good thing, because I will need it this month!

Keep Introverting...
(Yes, I'm still having Me Time in the Morning...I don't want to completely burn out.)

"Is It An Evil Petting Zoo?"

It is no longer an oddity to have some sort of minor glitch in one's familial relationships with parents and/or siblings.  To be frank, I'm grateful that society has dropped the pretense that we all get along famously all the time (thank you, 1950s television families). 

Last night, my dreams mined my subconscious for little nuggets of family arguments from as far back as 1996, but mostly items from 2005 or so.  Being an Introvert in a family of very gregarious, boisterous, outgoing and creative individuals was a daunting proposition.  Having moved to Seattle, Washington in 2001 (shortly after the towers fell, and yes the move was related), I was in the process of finding myself in the Great Pacific Northwest.   Having been somewhat of an odd bean (to put it mildly), it was an interesting challenge to navigate all of the new social interactions of The Big Move in 2001, and then Graduate School from 2003-2006.  It took a long time for me to figure out that numbers were my passion.  When that finally occurred, my highly creative friends and family members understandably cried foul.  It was really a way to show that they were worried, that they cared!

Discovering a love of numbers was a fascinating turn of events, especially given that I had not expected to be so moved by exploration and understanding of concrete fact rather than by creative fantasy.  Even my grandmother asked me if my choice of study would really make me happy (remember, odd bean!).  You'd be surprised at how often well-meaning friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and family members still question my choice. 

I woke up this morning, grinning like a fool.   Of all the family moments in time to remember, questions about my career path and course of study were fairly harmless.  It still tickles me to think of all the things we hope for when we consider our families and our children.  You just never know what you're going to get...an analyst or a musician, philosopher or comedian.

Practice, Practice, Practice

This week has been all about continuing to practice my booty off!  I hurt all over, but my day of rest is tomorrow, so I can definitely lump it until then.  Here's the schedule I've been keeping lately:

~5AM-6:30: Reading
~6:30-7:30: Getting Ready for Work
~7:30-8AM: Getting to Work (Including a Potential Stop for Coffee, Car Warmup Time, etc)
8AM-4PM or 4:30PM: Working
4:30PM-5 or 5:30PM: Making Dinner, Practicing Zumba Fitness
5:30PM-6:30PM: Dining
6:30PM-7 or 7:30PM: Practicing Zumba Fitness, Cleaning Up
7:30PM-Bedtime: Social Networking, Volunteering, Reading, Making Art, Watching Shows

The new Zumba Fitness routine that I've been memorizing has a lot (and I mean a LOT) of my favorite Merengue moves.  It is extremely hips-thighs-and-butt intensive, without a lot of jumping.  The good news is that it's very easy on the knees, but it does mean that practice of that one song exclusively can cause some discomfort sitting down.  Ha, ha!

Glowy

Despite incredibly busy and challenging (sometimes upsetting) moments this week, I feel aglow.  Reading and kitty-time have been the staples of my mornings, and exercise/knitting/cooking have been the activities of my nights.  This morning is no exception.  I spent a good, solid two hours next to the fake fire (yes, yes, my neck is red) reading Stephen King and petting my two rambunctious kitty-cats.  All of this is very, very good for your fellow Introvert. 

Any time that stress is most definitely on the horizon, particularly Social-stress, fostering rituals like those listed above help keep an Introvert sane and healthy. 

I LOVE my job, particularly when I'm helping people.  There are times, however, when the crowding inherent in our "busy" seasons (mostly August and January) can get to an Introvert.  Therefore, my morning-ritual preparation for today's help-fest over at SUNY Canton will only help me help others.  See?  One can be both incredibly selfish (I admit it) and selfless (volunteering for these events, as an Introvert, is definitely that) at the same time.

One only has to laugh at one's self from time to time...the little eccentricities and idiosyncratic quirks of personality type are both predictable and acceptable as long as they do not prevent an Introvert from doing good works.  ;-)

Rip-Roarin' Awaaaay...

I kept myself insanely busy this week, even with the holiday.   Between what I like to think of as my "homework" (reading, knitting, cooking) and the activities at work (calculating, reviewing, etc.), this week has been one of the most productive ones in recent memory.  It's great!  Even though the conventional wisdom suggests that keeping busy has the potential to stint imagination, the effect has been to spur creativity to new heights.

Adding to the homework, I am planning to do a diptych (dual set of paintings) showing the molecular structures of estrogen and progesterone.   The background will be a pastel wash, and the structures themselves will be featured as almost three-dimensional (an impact that can be imbued while painting using the right combination of washed out grays and almost fluorescent brights).  Since these hormones have such an amazing impact on my life and the lives of all women, the tribute will not be untoward.

This new project or rather, these new projects--will take some time and energy, but painting is a perfect Introverted activity.  So while expending energy is an ineluctable part of this process, it will be self-sustaining.  Green!  Ha, ha.