It may surprise some people to know, but I have been wanting to try yoga for a long time, but was too scared and didn't want to embarrass myself. Well, now that I have moved to a new town, I thought, what is there to lose? I don't know anyone here and judging from those I have seen, I don't think I will feel ugly/awkward/fat. So, I signed up for classes through the Raymond Rec Center (3 a week for 6 weeks) in hopes of getting more toned and centered. I weigh the same as I did pre-pregnancy, but things are not in the same place anymore. I have never been tight and toned, but it is driving me crazy to not at least look like my old flabby self. Anyway, I went today...alone...see Mom, I will do things by myself, and I had a really good time. For starters I am the youngest person in the class, a really refreshing feeling, especially since coming from Provo. Also, the lights were off which helped me feel more confident and the teacher was really clear as to what to do and I didn't feel "left behind" like I sometimes do in a group athletic class. I took an aerobics class once where I was always two movements behind the group...not a good feeling. I kept my balance very well and was even able to try some of the intermediate techniques. I couldn't believe it but by the end of the class I was able to balance my whole body on my elbows and shoulders and do scissor kicks in the air. I haven't done that since I was little. So, while I am a long way from doing the above pose, I was very proud of myself for trying something new and doing well at it. The teacher came up to me afterward to introduce herself to me (everyone else in the class is on a first name basis) and she thought I had done yoga before. So, yea! I have found something that requires coordination that I can do. Sorry that you had to read this written "pat on the back" but I am proud of myself and I feel great (a little sore, but great).
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Namaste
It may surprise some people to know, but I have been wanting to try yoga for a long time, but was too scared and didn't want to embarrass myself. Well, now that I have moved to a new town, I thought, what is there to lose? I don't know anyone here and judging from those I have seen, I don't think I will feel ugly/awkward/fat. So, I signed up for classes through the Raymond Rec Center (3 a week for 6 weeks) in hopes of getting more toned and centered. I weigh the same as I did pre-pregnancy, but things are not in the same place anymore. I have never been tight and toned, but it is driving me crazy to not at least look like my old flabby self. Anyway, I went today...alone...see Mom, I will do things by myself, and I had a really good time. For starters I am the youngest person in the class, a really refreshing feeling, especially since coming from Provo. Also, the lights were off which helped me feel more confident and the teacher was really clear as to what to do and I didn't feel "left behind" like I sometimes do in a group athletic class. I took an aerobics class once where I was always two movements behind the group...not a good feeling. I kept my balance very well and was even able to try some of the intermediate techniques. I couldn't believe it but by the end of the class I was able to balance my whole body on my elbows and shoulders and do scissor kicks in the air. I haven't done that since I was little. So, while I am a long way from doing the above pose, I was very proud of myself for trying something new and doing well at it. The teacher came up to me afterward to introduce herself to me (everyone else in the class is on a first name basis) and she thought I had done yoga before. So, yea! I have found something that requires coordination that I can do. Sorry that you had to read this written "pat on the back" but I am proud of myself and I feel great (a little sore, but great).
What a Long Strange Trip It's Been
It has been a long season of American Idol full of characters, relentless ad placement and exceedingly long results shows. And even by Idol standards, this season has been strange. I guess the producers thought tonight should be no different. I didn't get the relevance of the boxing analogies they kept trying to throw into the show. Is this a new Fox acquisition? I half expected there to be another SYTYCD reference to make the night complete, but they will probably save that for tomorrow. Please, oh please, have Mario Lopez dance like he did with the cast of A Chorus Line on DWTS. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.
Anyway, back to the finale performances. It was obvious based on the cheers and the judges reviews that Archuleta is the favorite to win. I hope this doesn't jinx him because I have wanted him to win for a long time. I just love how earnest he is about every single performance. Even though he looks a little like a leprechaun, especially when he stands next to Seacrest, he is pitch perfect and polished every time. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me was a predictable Clive Davis pick. If memory serves he also picked that song out for Aiken at this stage in the competition. David sang it well and I got excited when it sounded like a gospel choir was coming in for the chorus, but it was subdued and focused on him. Mark my words though, I predict a random gospel choir marching on stage tomorrow night for the results finale. I can't think of a finale that hasn't featured one. In This Moment was another predictable pick because it was a very "Archuleta song" -- lots of big notes and sounds like it could be done with Up With People. What was up with the giant anchor chain blazer he had on? Did that look weird to anyone else? Finally Imagine was even better than when he sang it the first time. I just love hearing him sing. He has a gift!! I have already voted for David 10 times. And the night is young.
David Cook also had a good night. At the beginning of the season I was not his biggest fan. I mostly hated his receding hairline comb-over swoopy bangs, but since he lost those and since my friend Holly convinced me that he is great, I have been cheering for him as well. Shelby and I joke that Carter has David Cook hair because it lays perfectly flat in the front and parts to one side and sticks straight up in the back. Clive Davis's pick for him, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For I thought was a good choice and I think he sang it well. The second song Dream Big was chee-zay. I think he sang it well, but the song was lame. Were those really the two best songs? Lastly, The World I Know was an odd choice for me. Again, he did it well, but what a Debbie Downer song for the last song you could possibly sing on the show. And I didn't like the "vampire's night out" outfit they put him in. All he was missing was a cape. In the end, I think they both did very well tonight, and I would be happy if either won. But I would be a little happier if Archuleta won :)
p.s. Someone needs to tell Archuleta's Dad-ager to loose the Newsie cap. Someone must have told him it looked good once (mistakenly) and now he is riding that look 'til the wheels fall off. Looking in to my crystal ball, you won't be delivering papers...ever. Archie is sure to get a record contract. Give Britney her hat back.
Anyway, back to the finale performances. It was obvious based on the cheers and the judges reviews that Archuleta is the favorite to win. I hope this doesn't jinx him because I have wanted him to win for a long time. I just love how earnest he is about every single performance. Even though he looks a little like a leprechaun, especially when he stands next to Seacrest, he is pitch perfect and polished every time. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me was a predictable Clive Davis pick. If memory serves he also picked that song out for Aiken at this stage in the competition. David sang it well and I got excited when it sounded like a gospel choir was coming in for the chorus, but it was subdued and focused on him. Mark my words though, I predict a random gospel choir marching on stage tomorrow night for the results finale. I can't think of a finale that hasn't featured one. In This Moment was another predictable pick because it was a very "Archuleta song" -- lots of big notes and sounds like it could be done with Up With People. What was up with the giant anchor chain blazer he had on? Did that look weird to anyone else? Finally Imagine was even better than when he sang it the first time. I just love hearing him sing. He has a gift!! I have already voted for David 10 times. And the night is young.
David Cook also had a good night. At the beginning of the season I was not his biggest fan. I mostly hated his receding hairline comb-over swoopy bangs, but since he lost those and since my friend Holly convinced me that he is great, I have been cheering for him as well. Shelby and I joke that Carter has David Cook hair because it lays perfectly flat in the front and parts to one side and sticks straight up in the back. Clive Davis's pick for him, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For I thought was a good choice and I think he sang it well. The second song Dream Big was chee-zay. I think he sang it well, but the song was lame. Were those really the two best songs? Lastly, The World I Know was an odd choice for me. Again, he did it well, but what a Debbie Downer song for the last song you could possibly sing on the show. And I didn't like the "vampire's night out" outfit they put him in. All he was missing was a cape. In the end, I think they both did very well tonight, and I would be happy if either won. But I would be a little happier if Archuleta won :)
p.s. Someone needs to tell Archuleta's Dad-ager to loose the Newsie cap. Someone must have told him it looked good once (mistakenly) and now he is riding that look 'til the wheels fall off. Looking in to my crystal ball, you won't be delivering papers...ever. Archie is sure to get a record contract. Give Britney her hat back.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
D Squared...I hope!
So now that I am back to blogging, I am very anxious to share my thoughts on tonight's AI. From what I can tell, the finals are going to be David and David and here's why.
David Archuleta: For those of you who read my blog, I have never hid the fact that I love the awkward, humble, overly peppy teen from Murray, Utah. I just love his talent and how he is so earnest about every song he approaches. Tonight was no different. For his first song, Paula chose And So It Goes. I am a huge Billy Joel fan and for once, Paula was not crazy. His second song choice was Chris Brown's With You. I have to agree with the judges that David is too white to sing this song, but I like them, applaud his effort and strategy to pick a younger sounding song. It is just so funny to me that someone who sings with such soul can rob the soul out of that song and replace it with an Up With People feel. I almost think he wanted people to join him singing while they were waving their hands back and forth in the air. For his third song, Dan Fogelberg's Longer, he gets an award for doing the most he could with such a crap song choice. When I hear that song I think my eighth grade Civics teacher listening to 98.7 The Bay and grading papers with a warm Diet Coke and an ugly dog asleep at her feet. Just something really sad like that. Luckily, the judges all agreed he could sing "The Phonebook" and they would listen. I wonder what next year's praise catchphrase will be.
David Cook: I haven't always been his biggest fan, but I think he is much more of a defined artist than Syesha is. David's first song, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, was an odd choice especially since I don't think it was intended to climax at the end, but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever heard. His second song, Dare You To Move, was just what I guessed he would pick but was much more "pitchy" than I expected. His third song, Don't Want To Miss A Thing, other than being a shameless tribute to the music of Diane Warren (what AI season isn't?) was ok. I still think they should just do a Diane Warren night like they did in season three and get it over with already. He sang it exactly as I thought he would and I think he will make it do the finals.
Which brings me to my least favorite contestant, Syesha. Aside for every mannerism she does annoying me, I just don't think she is a defined performer. She is like an actress doing a performance of what a performer should do, not what she actually is thinking and feeling. Her first song, If I Ain't Got You, was a Xerox of the original with a few additional flourishes. Her second song, Fever, was painful to watch. Yes, Syesha, you are attractive. Yes, dancing around a chair is sexy. No, you should not combine the two with a really old song on the semi-finals of American Idol. I know like four other people saw the movie The Fighting Temptations (and as mentioned in an earlier post, Black Cinema is one my guilty pleasures) but her performance tonight was almost a complete replica of Beyonce's performance in that movie. She even did the Beyonce signature side-lunge. Bad form, Syesha. Her last song, the Happy Feet song was lame. Be yourself, not a copy of other performers! She honestly would be my first choice if they were casting a biopic about a black female performer. She would probably be able to imitate them perfectly. For next week, they get to pick their favorite song from the season and I REALLY don't want her to sing Change is Gonna Come and I know she would choose it. Once was self-indulgent enough, twice would be unbearable.
Keep voting for either of the Davids. The lines are open for just a few more hours!!
David Archuleta: For those of you who read my blog, I have never hid the fact that I love the awkward, humble, overly peppy teen from Murray, Utah. I just love his talent and how he is so earnest about every song he approaches. Tonight was no different. For his first song, Paula chose And So It Goes. I am a huge Billy Joel fan and for once, Paula was not crazy. His second song choice was Chris Brown's With You. I have to agree with the judges that David is too white to sing this song, but I like them, applaud his effort and strategy to pick a younger sounding song. It is just so funny to me that someone who sings with such soul can rob the soul out of that song and replace it with an Up With People feel. I almost think he wanted people to join him singing while they were waving their hands back and forth in the air. For his third song, Dan Fogelberg's Longer, he gets an award for doing the most he could with such a crap song choice. When I hear that song I think my eighth grade Civics teacher listening to 98.7 The Bay and grading papers with a warm Diet Coke and an ugly dog asleep at her feet. Just something really sad like that. Luckily, the judges all agreed he could sing "The Phonebook" and they would listen. I wonder what next year's praise catchphrase will be.
David Cook: I haven't always been his biggest fan, but I think he is much more of a defined artist than Syesha is. David's first song, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, was an odd choice especially since I don't think it was intended to climax at the end, but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever heard. His second song, Dare You To Move, was just what I guessed he would pick but was much more "pitchy" than I expected. His third song, Don't Want To Miss A Thing, other than being a shameless tribute to the music of Diane Warren (what AI season isn't?) was ok. I still think they should just do a Diane Warren night like they did in season three and get it over with already. He sang it exactly as I thought he would and I think he will make it do the finals.
Which brings me to my least favorite contestant, Syesha. Aside for every mannerism she does annoying me, I just don't think she is a defined performer. She is like an actress doing a performance of what a performer should do, not what she actually is thinking and feeling. Her first song, If I Ain't Got You, was a Xerox of the original with a few additional flourishes. Her second song, Fever, was painful to watch. Yes, Syesha, you are attractive. Yes, dancing around a chair is sexy. No, you should not combine the two with a really old song on the semi-finals of American Idol. I know like four other people saw the movie The Fighting Temptations (and as mentioned in an earlier post, Black Cinema is one my guilty pleasures) but her performance tonight was almost a complete replica of Beyonce's performance in that movie. She even did the Beyonce signature side-lunge. Bad form, Syesha. Her last song, the Happy Feet song was lame. Be yourself, not a copy of other performers! She honestly would be my first choice if they were casting a biopic about a black female performer. She would probably be able to imitate them perfectly. For next week, they get to pick their favorite song from the season and I REALLY don't want her to sing Change is Gonna Come and I know she would choose it. Once was self-indulgent enough, twice would be unbearable.
Keep voting for either of the Davids. The lines are open for just a few more hours!!
I'm Baaaaack
So after a month of silence, I am back to blogging. I hope I don't ever need to take a break that long again. I will post pictures of our new digs in NH, but for now I am not ready. I still need to hang things on the wall so it looks more like a real home. I promise...photo documentation of our new place will be on soon.
It has been a long month away. April was jam packed with finishing school, finishing work, finals, graduation, packing, moving, leaving Carter for the first time, and unpacking at our new house. The drive was loooooong and I glad we don't have to do it again any time soon. Leaving and being away from Carter for three days was much harder than I thought it would be, and again, I am glad I don't have to do it again any time soon. Our new house is great! We love living here already. It is really nice to have a place to ourselves and still be close to family. I think it is a great blend. Our new ward as been very welcoming and we are excited to be part of a new "family".
Our life here is very different than life in Provo. I don't see pregnant women every day when I go to the store and in fact, when I do go out shopping in the middle of the day with all the other "stay-at-home-moms" it is seldom that I even see another baby for Carter to meet. Raymond is a special town. It has a very unique blend of inhabitants as do most New England towns. "In Town" which is really just one main street, I would probably feel more comfortable if I owned my own Camaro...or had feathered bangs that wreak of Aussie hair products...or a rose tattoo...or taper legged jeans...or mirrored sunglasses purchased at a gas station ...or a smile like a jack-o-lantern...am I painting a clear enough picture? Anyway, the locals are friendly and I enjoy the show when I go "downtown". Mike and I have even started working on our accents for interactions with Raymond residents. We try to remember to start each sentence with "Yeahr I was..." as in "Yeahr I was wonderin' how fah it is to the nearest Wal-Maht." Mike has been practicing his Raymond accent out on Shelby at the Routes by prank calling her first thing in the morning. She thinks it is annoying, I think it is hilarious.
In any case we are glad to be back in NH and look forward to reacquainting with all of our friends here. I am sure I will have many more interesting stories to share while we are here.
It has been a long month away. April was jam packed with finishing school, finishing work, finals, graduation, packing, moving, leaving Carter for the first time, and unpacking at our new house. The drive was loooooong and I glad we don't have to do it again any time soon. Leaving and being away from Carter for three days was much harder than I thought it would be, and again, I am glad I don't have to do it again any time soon. Our new house is great! We love living here already. It is really nice to have a place to ourselves and still be close to family. I think it is a great blend. Our new ward as been very welcoming and we are excited to be part of a new "family".
Our life here is very different than life in Provo. I don't see pregnant women every day when I go to the store and in fact, when I do go out shopping in the middle of the day with all the other "stay-at-home-moms" it is seldom that I even see another baby for Carter to meet. Raymond is a special town. It has a very unique blend of inhabitants as do most New England towns. "In Town" which is really just one main street, I would probably feel more comfortable if I owned my own Camaro...or had feathered bangs that wreak of Aussie hair products...or a rose tattoo...or taper legged jeans...or mirrored sunglasses purchased at a gas station ...or a smile like a jack-o-lantern...am I painting a clear enough picture? Anyway, the locals are friendly and I enjoy the show when I go "downtown". Mike and I have even started working on our accents for interactions with Raymond residents. We try to remember to start each sentence with "Yeahr I was..." as in "Yeahr I was wonderin' how fah it is to the nearest Wal-Maht." Mike has been practicing his Raymond accent out on Shelby at the Routes by prank calling her first thing in the morning. She thinks it is annoying, I think it is hilarious.
In any case we are glad to be back in NH and look forward to reacquainting with all of our friends here. I am sure I will have many more interesting stories to share while we are here.
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