Day 304: Coyote Sighting & Painting Pottery

Thursday, July 17

This morning I drove straight to the winery for a meeting regarding a holiday catalog that I’ll be working on.  As I left the winery, I noticed an animal moving in the field next to me, out a ways.  It was a coyote.  This was the first coyote I had ever seen!

It was small, lone and looked young.  I parked in the middle of Calkins Lane and just watched this inquisitive creature search for prey.  He had a sly grin on his face, which was actually kind of cute.  He was kind of thin.  We made eye contact.  He kept looking my way, then was distracted at once and curved his back while he pounced on dried out, yellowed, straw-like heaps of grass.  A minivan was behind me, quickly approaching.  I wanted to continue to watch this curious creature, but I had to get back to the downtown office.  I hoped that the coyote wasn’t hungry or struggling to eat.  I hoped he had succeeded with his hunt.

I spent the rest of my day working on elements of our pre-IPNC wine dinner.  I flipped through a great book my co-worker brought in for me to look at on table decorations.  I came up with a design scheme that will be quite lovely. 

I learned today that some of the Thai food I had been eating had soy sauce!  It was a rude awakening that I wasn’t following my gluten-free diet close enough.  I had a spicy shrimp salad today for lunch that was guaranteed gluten-free.  I was making mistakes with Mexican food, as well.  I am really working hard to be more diligent about my diet.

 

After work, I drove to a paint your own pottery shop in old town Sherwood.  It was a quaint little spot.  My co-worker planned a girl’s night of painting pottery.  I found a cool ceramic wine cooler and painted a fun bug design, with a dragonfly, a butterfly and a bee, zooming over a quote about writing, by William Butler Yeats, in a green script paint.  I made it for Kerry’s 35^th birthday, which was today.  It’s a little hokie, but made from the heart.  I can’t wait to see how it turns out.  It will be ready next week.

It was actually very therapeutic to paint pottery this evening.  I forgot about my latest stresses and woes.  You get focused and caught in the creative moment.  I really enjoyed myself.  Next time, a margarita might be in order!

 

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Day 284: Simple Acts of Detoxification

Thursday, June 25

This afternoon at work I joined my coworkers out on our deck to plant flowers, tomatoes, basil, strawberries and squash in two wine barrels.  We’re all pretty psyched about the mini garden.  After, we all went to an open house at a new tasting room in downtown Newberg.  It’s a beautiful spot and it was good to chat with colleagues.  I decided to forgo the wine and appetizers and opted for a glass of water.  I left after fifteen minutes in attempt to make a 6:30 p.m. Vinyassa class at Yoga Pearl. 

I stopped home first to change into my yoga gear and to grab my mat.  But I hit all kinds of crazy traffic.  I arrived at 6:36 and missed the class.  A woman there, eating at the Blossoming Lotus Cafe, which is adjacent to the studio, came over and told me I could possibly make it to Yoga Union, up in the Mt. Tabor neighborhood (up Hawthorne), for the 7:15 p.m. class.  I was on my way.  I rushed into the studio with a kind of energy that I know was scorned by the uber relaxed staff who were chilling out exponentially, and trying to get me to chill out without telling me in a rude tone to chill out.  That’s more a jab at myself, not the staff.  They were all very pleasant.  I got all signed up and was offered a free class, since it was my first one there.  That was very kind! 

Tonight’s 7:15 class was hot yoga – and it was wonderful.  I spent 90 minutes challenging my body and sweating like crazy.  It was a rigorous class and I could feel every muscle benefit, I could feel my breath improving, I could feel all of my body systems benefitting from this incredible workout.  There’s really nothing like yoga – it’s truly a mind, body, soul workout.  I loved this studio, the instructor was kind, funny and for sure a spiritual guide.  I would definitely return soon for another class.

Class was over by 8:45 p.m., and by the time I’d get home to eat dinner that would mean a late digestion.  So, I decided to stop by a Thai/Vietnamese place, and ordered a papaya salad to start, followed by a medium bowl of pho soup.  I was 99% sure I was safe from gluten contamination.  The papaya salad was really good, I only ate a small helping.  I figured I’d take the leftovers home for lunch.  The pho was okay, not quite as good as a Vietnamese only restaurant.  Still, it hit the spot.

On my way out, a homeless guy who had been loitering outside of the restaurant had asked me if I had any leftovers, which I obviously did, as I was holding the box on my way out.  My compassion brimmed and I handed him the box that was filled with my leftover papaya salad.  I got into my car and as I turned back onto Hawthorne, I noticed the guy tossed the leftover papaya salad into the trash.  I was pissed.  I love papaya salad and would have been super happy to have it for lunch.  But, I wanted to do the right thing and offer it to someone who seemed to need it more that I did.  The guy was ungrateful for my charity.  When do beggars become choosers?  Okay, this guy was hungry and I gave him food and it wasn’t good enough?  I’m sorry that it wasn’t chicken chow mein or beef rangoon, but give me a flippin’ break.  It was free food!  And healthy.  And delicious!  This was my first experience with an ungrateful homeless person.  And it made me more sad than angry.  I couldn’t believe this dude wasted the food and threw it away!!  Seriously??

When I got home I had to rinse off.  I sweat profusely at yoga.  I stared off by using my dry skin brush to detoxify and stimulate the lymph system.  This removes dead skin cells and promote’s the skin’s process of excreting toxins through the skin.  It’s recommended to do it immediately before showering or bathing, starting with the feet and working up the body towards the heart.

I took a refreshing shower with a refreshing ginger salt scrub by Origins followed by a rosemary-mint shower gel on a loofah.  I love Origins and Aveda, and I am on this serious kick to put only natural products on my hair and skin that I could eat – I mean, why would you put chemicals on your body that absorb? 

While I cleansed my skin, I reflected on why I loved yoga so much, how it makes you slow down and focus on breath and your body.  After I towel dried off, my skin was baby smooth.  The toxins had been released from yoga and dry brushing, while the dead skin had been sloughed off. 

I put on some loose, organic cotton pajama pants with a tank top, and went downstairs to drink more water, a cup of Yogi chamomile tea, and I truly felt cleared, balanced and happy.

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Day 269: Feeling Better, Continued Record Cold Temps & Loving Azzurri

Wednesday, June 11

I woke up clear.  Really clear this time.  The cold/sinus infection seemed to have run its ugly course.  It was good to be back to health.  I got an improved night of sleep – around 7 hours.  I’ll be happy if I can maintain 7-8 hours of restive, restorative sleep each night.  It’s a little weird to have goals for sleep, but it’s been so necessary. 

I got on my way and took out the trash, feeling accomplishments in the little things, the mundane chores, the fact that I was well rested and ready to take on my day.  I had a lunch meeting with our winemaker.  He picked up Thai food at Golden Leaf in Newberg - I had the spicy scallop and shrimp lunch special served with white rice. 

I worked another long day, leaving the office at around 6:45 p.m.  On my way out, I had a letter and all the documented correspondence I had saved regarding a random balance I supposedly owed my property management company.  For two months the manager was delinquent in responding to my request for an explanation on what the balance was for; she then applied two late fees to the balance, after I had six examples of trying to resolve this.  I wrote a very firm letter, attached the documented correspondence and went to Fred Meyer to cash in a reimbursement check from work to apply toward a Money Order, as the property manager demanded a Money Order or Cashier’s Check, an inconvenience, of course.  I felt really responsible and good about my course of action, and, ultimately, protecting myself and preventing myself from being taken advantage of by what seems to be a scamming property manager.

Today was another day of record cold temperatures – 6 days in a row in the 50′s.  This area hadn’t had such a long duration of cold weather since the 1950′s!  And, it’s been in the 30′s at night!!  I felt it in my bones all day and was just dumbfounded that we’re in the month of June!  It was in the low 50′s most of the day with no sunbreaks.  The weather report calls for sunny, warmer weather beginning tomorrow afternoon.  I can hardly wait.  It looks like the high will be in the mid-70′s.  I’m praying that it might even be warmer than that.  Now, more than ever, I am missing the east coast and summertime.

When I got home, I dressed and went to the gym.  On my way, I dropped off my packet and adjusted payment to the property manager via the night drop off for rent.  At the gym, I almost sat myself down on the exercise bike, as I had done last night and the past few months.  Instead, I got on the treadmill and pushed myself to run 2 10-minute miles, plus a warm up and warm down, for a total of 40 minutes of cardio, burning over 300 calories.  It felt good to challenge myself and to really sweat like I did when I went to that Vinyassa yoga class a week ago.  And I got caught up on sports, watching part of the Mariner’s first win on the road against Toronto, and part of the Euro Cup with Portugal ahead of the Czech Republic.

Italy lost against the Netherlands, but I haven’t lost faith in the Azzurri!  Che bello!

Mamma mia!!  Io amo gli uomini del Azzurri! 

After my workout, I got home at 8:30 p.m. and put my leftover pot of soup on the stove.  I boiled another pot of water and made some brown rice gluten-free macaroni pasta by Tinkyada.  When it was cooked, I added the pasta to a deep bowl and ladled in the soup.  After dinner, I had a Klondike Slim-A-Bear for dessert.  I made a cup of hot Yogi Indian Spice team.

On the news, there was a report about a soldier in Iraq, from Washington state, who, for entertainment, threw an adorable live puppy over a cliff to its death, all captured on video.  This made me want to vomit and cry.  How sick!  How demented and mentally ill this young man must be – I don’t know if living in war and seeing death has destroyed his ability to feel any compassion, and enhanced a love for violence, but this was just unconscionable to me.  I couldn’t get it out of my head.  I was just sad, beyond words.

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