Yoga for Cats

I know what you're thinking. I photoshopped in the cat. Nope, he crawled up onto my shoulder and sat on my back. It's the second time this week. He is so strange. He would still be sitting there but I can only hold that pose for so long. It reminds me of a calendar I saw of people in actual yoga poses with the cat sitting on them. With a little training, Jackson and I are on our way! There are actually videos you can purchase, and they might be worth it, just for the entertainment value alone! Check it out: http://www.yogakitty.com/yogavideos.html You have to watch one of the videos. Hilarious. First of all, this guy has a cat named Ovaria. Who does that?!? Oh, you just have to watch it.

Madison at night

Last night I attended a poetry slam at the Union Theater on campus. 15 local high school kids had advanced to this show, and then from there 5 were picked to move on to the competition in NYC. Anyway, from the mouths of these teens came such eloquence and big deep thoughts spoken with such rhythm. They tackled every topic from new orleans to suicide to abortion to feeling like a geek. Some of the one liners they came up with were so profound. So, now there will be 350 teens like them all together in NYC for a national competition. Madison is well represented.

After that show came a hip hop group of three men from Senegal, called Daara J. They really raised the roof. They came out charged with a relentless desire to pump up the crowd and they left us no choice but to obey their every command of waving our hands in the air or jumping up and down. We sat in the balcony and while I'm sure it was a blast to be part of the front row dance party where all our friends were, I enjoyed seeing the audience from above, moving together. Hundreds of hands waving, heads bobbing all in sync. That was great to see.

Cheers to Madison!

Procrastination

Here is where I will ramble on about Procrastination.
Later.

Fabulous Facepaint

My neighbor has taken up a new trade: Fabulous Face Painting. Evidently, she has had two real gigs where she painted kids for 4 hours with no break. I think that's insane, but she seems to enjoy it. I got to paint a few kids and it really is fun--just not 4 hours of it with 50 kids standing in line. Also, it is fun to get painted although Jackson didn't think so. Have you heard of this book, "Why Paint Cats?" It's very strange. There is also a Why Cats Paint. I cannot tell you that this book is authentic, although I think it's a possibility because I'm such a dork about cats.
The warm weather seems to be confusing the geese. They are flying north as if it's spring. I hate to be the one to break the news to them.

Today we went kite skiing, well actually Markus had skis and I made snow angels. I flew the kite a bit and slid around on the ice. What a beautiful day.

Peter Sellers

I have watched this movie twice in the last week: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. Such a character he was! Now I am going to go on a Sellers binge with the Pink Panther, Being There and Dr. Strangelove. The biography style movie is told in a bit of a different way than most other movies in that genre. They don't just feed it to you, but show you parts all through his life and you fill in the gaps. It's a great screenplay. Minus Charlize Theron and her very bad Russian accent, the acting was all good. But even that may have been intentional as one of Peter's lines is: "God woman, you're a terrible actor and you can't stop."

I am so into movies right now. Winter has set in for sure. What else are you going to do??

Fly Over Madison

Today I worked with a pilot who had been in a motorcycle accident. I was telling him about this day, my only ride in a small cessna. Markus surprised me with a trip the local airport for a little fly over Madison. The capitol looks even more regal from the air.

Loving my Job

I want to share a little about how happy I am at this moment with my state of employment. I just started working part time at a nursing home as a therapist. I will work 3 days a week and I think it will be really good. I've been in a state of employment limbo for a few months now (6). I was starting to get a little annoyed with it because the hours were so unpredictable. I still have to think about my long term future, but for now...I'm getting paid like I should, it's part time and I get to make a difference in the days of old people. How great is that!? Although today a catheter bag dumped onto the floor and I kneeled in pee, but hey, at least it's just pee. It could be worse I think. Ha ha ha. Bet you all wanted to know that. Job requirement #1: Good sense of humor. #2: A change of Pants

List

So, I never wrote about the rest of my Minnesota trip but in a quick list form overview:

This was fun:
*playing with kittens
*wandering around the banks of the mississippi
*eating at taste of thailand (my favorite place)
*hanging with my friends Mary and Ken, I can't get enough of them
*seeing my family
*seeing my lovely cousins who are growing up too fast
*eating at the Panera where my sister works
*getting her employee discount
*getting a massage from my mom
*eating at taste of thailand (again! I got to go twice!)
*playing with kittens

Minneapolis, here I come!

Today, I drove down to Minneapolis to visit some good old friends and experience the Nile River on the Omni Theater. The only interesting thing I saw in the science museum was a life size picture of the man who was the tallest man ever, 8 ft 11 in. He was from Illinois. I was with my tallest friend who couldn't even reach the man's head when he put his arms in the air. How wild is that!? Later, we met up with some friends for some fun at Nye's Polonaise Room, a classy old joint and dancing at Ground Zero in NE Minneapolis. I danced my heart out and spun and grooved until I could no longer. It was most excellent to be with old friends, especially my friend Gnu.

Good ol' Minnesota

What a snow paradise it is here! Snow is piled high and the moon is bright inbetween cotton puff looking clouds. I just got home from Clare's Well with my mom. They have two new kittens there and honestly, is there anything greater than kittens? Orange striped brothers and their mama found a home in the ditch in front of the farm before they were carried off to live in the barn with the goats and chickens. Everyone gets along now! The mama cat was almost a kitten herself, so young with a bright future ahead of her until some Tomcat knocked her up and left her on the side of the road. Well, as luck would have it, the mama sure picked the right place to be left. The boy kittens are happy and playful and loved. The mama earned the name Katrina and the boys are yet to be named. I am voting for Cosmo and Jack (in the Pulpit), since the other cats they have are Iris and Lilly. I am now about to sit down for a good chick flick.

Today I finally took down the Christmas decorations, tree and whatnot. What's funny about that is, it looks so nice when you put it up, and then it looks so nice when you take it down. What's with that? My living room looks so spacious and open now. Well, only 340 days until Christmas, or something like that.

Snow Paradise

My dearest friend Jana just got home from a ski trip to Jackson Hole, WY. Look at her! Wow. She is a supermodel snowbunny if I ever did see one. She said the snow was amazing and the hills were steep. I am so happy she came home safe and had a great time!

Good Fitchburg Date

Don't get your panties in a bunch worrying about how to impress a lady. The Fitchburg Date is a sure winner. Start of the night at Quivey's Grove, just off Verona Road. Built in 1855, this estate will step you back in time for a feel good Wisconsin dinner. Eat in the Stable Grill or the Stone House but be sure to walk the tunnel that connects the two. Eating in the house may feel a bit like grandma's with quilts adorning the walls. The lamb shank was totally tasty and the fish fry was also a classic. The homemade cranberry muffins were steaming when they were served to our table. After dinner, have a drink at the stable bar where a piano man can take your requests, Bridge Over Troubled Water is always a crowd pleaser. Next, switch up the pace for the high tech experience of the IMAX. Now showing is the amazing space station in 3D, complete with funny goggles. Float in space while digesting a tasty dinner in good company.

Ho Hum.

What to write about when nothing is going on? Or seemingly there is nothing to write about, although there is much going on. Today I made a delicous cherry tart out of my new German cookbook. Dr. Oetker is a good baker with such yummy treats!

Tonight I am taking Markus as a surprise to the 3D show of the spacestation at the new IMAX theater in town. If you all have not seen this amazing film, it's totally worth your $8.50. What are you still doing reading this? Go to the Space Station!

I worked a bit today, also I applied for a new job. I am not scheduled at all next week so I think I will plan a trip to Minnesota to do the friends and fam. circuit. Anyone want to hang out with me?

Not the nicest time of year to travel, but what the heck.

So, stay tuned. There are always adventures to be had in the Land O' 10,000 Lakes!

Ice Ice Baby

So, this is my wish for the week. These pics are from 2 years ago, one day on Lake Monona when the ice was a dream to skate on. This year the lake was covered in snow and not skatable, but this week has been almost 40 and raining! So, my theory is that the snow melted, the grass is green...so if it gets cold again now with no snow, the lake should be good! I have to say it will be tough to top this day. It was so cold with no snow, then poof--one sunny day, 30 degrees. Perfecto! BTW, I cannot move while holding this pose, it was truly a camara moment.
Markus has ice tires that have amazing traction on the lake. He was pulling me on skates, hence the rope on the ice. That was super fun.

Resolutions

So, I am curious about New Year's resolutions! We all know the popular ones, but is there more to it? All these blogs explore the phenomenon that is a Resolution.

http://whynotlaugh.blogspot.com/2006/01/2006-new-years-resolutions.html

http://itsmysoapbox.blogspot.com/2006/01/keeping-new-years-resolutions-third.html
http://rachel76.blogspot.com/2005/12/30-goals-resolutions-for-2006-year-i.html

Here's a nice list of resolutions from a fellow blogger...I like how she has projected dates for the more addictive things, like not going cold turkey on diet soda...very realistic. I think she has a good chance to succeed, although it's quite a list!

http://spunkyjunior.blogspot.com/2006/01/my-new-years-resolutions.html

http://stellastarguitar.blogspot.com/ I like this woman's rant.
http://nickleanddimes.blogspot.com/2006/01/new-years-resolutions-part-31.html this guy actually reviewed last year's resolutions.

I hope you all enjoyed my research. I concluded that:
I resolve to not make any resolutions at this time, so that I may make the best choice, an educated resolution when I see fit. Maybe in July, I will resolve to not wear my long underware until Halloween. Who knows. I will let you all know if inspiration strikes. Of course there are changes I would like to make this year, but it's almost like making them resolutions is so cliche that it gives me permission not to change. Afterall, resolving to change can be done anytime of year. OK, that's it. That's my resolution. This year, when I think of something I need to change and can, I will. Otherwise, if I don't need to change it, or can't, I won't. Yeah, that pretty much covers it all.

Mondays

Just another Manic Monday, whoo-hoo hoo. Wish it was Sunday, cause that's my fun-day, my I-don't-have-to-run-day, just another Manic Monday.

One has to wonder what the Bangles are up to these days.

I actually went to work today, along with almost no one else. The roads were dead, the banks were closed. Turns out that the old people still showed up for therapy, so it was a good thing I was there.

Last night I watched this amazing movie, 1,000 Clowns. For anyone who hasn't seen this, it is highly recommended by one of the best movie connoiseurs I know. It's black and white and brilliant. They don't make movies like that anymore, such a shame.

Anyone with good New Year's resolutions to share?

I am finishing up on the last of the Top 5. I know you're all nearly peeing yourself with anticipation...give me a day or so and it will be done.

Steak and Lube anyone?

The ride stopped here, the local Steak and Lube in Middleton. The Packer's game was playing on multiple TV's and a make your own bloody mary bar (yum). The amount of vehicles hanging from the ceiling is nuts. How much more Wisconsin can I really get today?? I recommend the onion rings.

2006 New Year's Ride

Happy New Year Y'all! Today we went on the annual New Year's Day ride. It's not a scene that you get to see everyday. It starts at the capitol square and then rides around Lake Mendota to the Quaker Steak and Lube. In this ride are all kinds of people, some rough riders, with crazy leather and fringe, some Harleys, some BMW's, some dirt bikes that are barely street legal. It seems you can tell much about a person from their bike, or at least much about the bike from the person. It was interesting to ride in winter, a bit windy. We took over the road for a while.

This is not a combination I often see, leather chaps, camoflage and a mink coat.
This is the line of Harleys. I think they like to be seen AND heard.
This was my favorite bike there, it's a 1972 with some nice shiny chrome pieces. Isn't it cute!?