Tag: snow

Week 1: Done

I can’t believe week 1 of teacher training is over. I was so nervous the night before it started that I barely got any sleep on Sunday and apparently my teacher, Chrissy, didn’t either. I’m sure it was the same for a lot of people. We all sat in a circle and nervously surveyed who else was in the class. By day 4, when we sat in a circle in the studio at the end of the day, Chrissy said something like, “Can you believe how well we’ve all gotten to know each other in just four days?” And it’s true. We really had.

There were pose myths debunked. Super long asanas flowed through. And we learned the secret formula for YogaWorks sequencing. Personally, my mind was blown to find out that our hips are not squared in Trikonasa or Ardha Chandrasana. I was also blown away to find out that there’s a specific method to the madness of YogaWorks’ sequences. From here on out, I’m pretty much going to be keeping an eye on my teacher’s sequences to see if they break any of the rules. I’m annoying like that. We’ve had a ton of anatomy lessons, too. I’m going to really have to work hard to became even the tiniest bit memorized with some of the names.

We’re reading the yoga sutras by Patanjali and they’re so interesting and relevant even in modern times. 

The group of men and women (okay, there are only two men, but that’s okay!) are so incredibly diverse, from all parts of the world, and I’m so happy to be getting to know all of them. 

By Day 4, I was incredibly sore. And after the long asana yesterday, I was even more sore, in addition to exhausted. Today I woke up at the incredibly late hour of 9am and took a bath while doing some anatomy reading and then I stretched and flowed a little. 

And now it’s snowing, so I’m watching the snow out my window while J reads and Playbill sleeps. Happy Saturday!

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Snow Day!

I honestly don’t know anyone in the city who loves a good snowfall like I do. I mean, obviously it’s ideal to be able to sit in your apartment and watch it fall, rather than commute to work in it, but I love it regardless. All you need is a good pair of boots and you’re set. It gives you an excuse to go buy (or make!) hot chocolate or extra coffee because there is no better time for hot chocolate and coffee than a snow day. 

I am currently sitting in my living room watching some light, but consistent, snowflakes fall from the sky while my cat sleeps on the windowsill and I’m trying to decide whether or not to go to a yoga class at 11am. I’ve been trying to let my strained knee heel for the last week and a half before teacher training starts (on Monday, OMG). Shockingly, constant yoga classes weren’t helping, so I took Friday off and my knee is feeling a bit better (it hasn’t been in excruciating pain, just extra sensitive). 

Annnnnnnd I think I’ve just talked myself out of going. Thanks, blog and free-writing mind. I’m going to do some light flow and stretching in my apartment before I go to help to administer a survey at In Transit’s matinee (90 minutes, no intermission!). It should be an interesting piece, or at the very least it’ll be different.

And I hadn’t planned on it, but Anjellicle Cats was at a loss for a volunteer tonight so my bleeding heart for cats said yes, so I’ll trudge back out in the snow later tonight to play with some cats that are waiting to find their furrrrever homes. (Have you adopted a cat lately? If not, I seriously think you should.)

In the meantime, get a good pair of boots and enjoy your snow day. 

My Name is Jonas.

Fans were lined up outside of the Richard Rodgers today to get cancellation tickets to Hamilton, and now they must be pissed now that both the matinees and evening performances of every show are canceled. 

The above-ground subways are actually shutting down mid-afternoon, the buses are ceasing at 2:30pm, and the NYPD are literally threatening to arrest people if they’re found on the street. 

Call me crazy, but a storm this crazy is so fun. I awoke at 9:30am because I was sure my yoga studio would cancel classes (spoiler alert: they didn’t until 11:30am, oops) and put on my layers and went out for bagels. I walked around a few blocks and even saw some dude running on Broadway in SHORTS. He wins the Crazy Award.

Now I’m doing my laundry, my dude is doing work on his laptop, and we’re listening to the Danny Elfman Pandora station (Batman is currently playing). 

I wonder if being outside under my buildings awning would put me at risk for getting arrested? I may have to find out later. 

Enjoy the storm, my East Coast friends and Tumblrs! Stay safe!

City in the Snow

The East Coast is getting pummeled this weekend with a massive storm. Unfortunately the forecasts are only predicting 6 inches of snow for the New York City area this weekend, but 6 inches is better than nothing (that’s what she said?).  I love the snow. I have no idea why as I’m not a particularly outdoorsy person. I think it’s probably because everything is so peaceful and pretty when it snows. The calm after the storm after everyone is at home, and watching the snow fall. It’s almost meditative.

The benefits of storms in the city, especially when you live uptown, is that the power almost never goes out (now it probably will, but it hasn’t in the last 8 years I’ve lived uptown) and nothing closes. Maybe the neighborhood bar will close at midnight or 2am instead of 4am, but the corner market is always open, and the diner is always open. They don’t call this the city that never sleeps for nothing.

The subways never shut down either. So you know what’s happening if they’re wrong and the storm is massively bad? We’re putting on our boots, hopping on the train, and playing the lottery for Hamilton.  When tourists and people who live outside the city are unable to come in to do things like play lotteries, you hop on the subway and you make the most of it. Freezing snow and ice be damned.

Since 300 people will likely have the same idea, we will probably end up snowed in at my apartment drinking tea and coffee and hot chocolate, or braving the storm for a block and a half and grabbing a hot toddy at Amity Hall or The Hamilton.

Bring it on, snow. Bring it on.

Snowmagedon, Part 8

So it’s this year’s “storm of the century”! Bring it on!, I say. I went to work today in a sweater dress, leggings, leg warmers, and boots (and a coat, duh). This has become my winter uniform and I give zero fucks. So, so comfortable and warm. The second shot is out my office window, 12 stories above SoHo. The third short is form 3pm today when my office shut down early (so we could work from home and avoid the weather) at the corner of Broadway and Houston.

I found out that Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish have canceled their concert for tomorrow, which totally blows but is probably for the best. Hopefully I’ll be able to make the new date.

I have all of the snowstorm essentials at my apartment: peanut butter, cookies, gummi bears, and dark chocolate. I will be fine. We will all be fine. Chill out, people.

Snow…. So?

Am I the only one who doesn’t care that it snowed a tiny bit (more like an ice storm, really) in New York last night? I was inside with no need to leave my apartment, which I suppose helps, but people are still complaining today about it.

Put on your big person boots and deal with it. It’s been a funky season so we should’ve been expecting this. Luckily I’m a procrastinator sometimes and my boots were never packed away, so they’re still out front and center for me to use today.

Come on, New Yorkers, you can get it together.

Jury Duty: Done

I always love watching the snow but usually it just turns out to be a pain in the ass because I have to get to and from work, and whatever other plans I have, in it. And that sucks. 

But today? Today I had jury duty for the first time ever. I’d been called once or twice while in college but obviously didn’t have to go. I was called for the first time post-college in June and used my first postponement for sixth months. 

Until January. I received the summons notice earlier this month for today. I thought about trying to postpone again but said, meh. I’ll just get it over with.

I reported down to Tribeca at 8:45am with a triple grande latte in hand, ready to do a lot of reading, texting, and screwing around on my Macbook. We had lots of orientating. Too much. The video they showed us was basically a poorly acted snippet of Law & Order. Guys, most people have seen L&O. I think we can skip the video, k? We were told multiple times that the inclement would not get us dismissed. They said this multiple times. Okay, cool, we get it. We’re screwed regardless of the snow.  Then we filled out a questionnaire and waited for the lawyers to arrive.

Who were late. Fine. Whatever it was a blizzard outside. Then the first thirty jurors were randomly called. I was not one of them. I updated friends on how my day of “civic duty” was going, told my bosses what was going on, and ate a Mojo bar. 

Shortly after sometime in the afternoon a woman entered and told us, “Hi guys, so due to the weather, we’re going to be done for today. You’re all getting credit for your one day of serving. We’ll see you in six years!" So, they do sometimes close down for weather. I spent the latter part of the day buying sweaters that were on sale at the Gap (as I recently discovered that a majority of mine are too big).

I don’t always love the snow, but I definitely do when it gets me out of jury duty. See you in six years, judge. 

Your New Sunday Night

So, it’s been about 5* in New York City lately, with lots of snow and freezing rain, too. Do you know what that means? It means leaving the house is a lot harder because it’s just so much damn warmer inside. 

Since New York City was basically a sheet of ice today and I stood outside in it for about two hours (waiting to meet Mayor de Blasio at Gracie Mansion – he was super cool!), I was over The Great Outdoors and knew that I wasn’t going to make it to either a yoga class or my meditation class.

What’s a person to do? Google for podcasts on YouTube. I did and I found my new It’s Too Damn Cold Outside meditation and restorative yoga regime for Sunday nights. 

This “Oneness” meditation is about 25 minutes long and it’s quite nice. I’m used to sitting for 35-40 minute meditations on Sunday night, but this works too. 

Part two of my new Sunday night regime is this restorative yoga podcast. The teacher’s voice is kind of grating but the poses are good. I felt totally relaxed after. They don’t call it Nap Time For Adults for nothing.

Now I’m going to go drink some sleepy time tea, read, and pass out. 

Namaste.

Apparently snow was on the menu for tonight. And today.

Sometime this afternoon I looked out the window and saw snow coming down. Immediately following my silent revelation, I heard other colleagues say the same thing. “IT’S SNOWING!”

It soon stopped and then turned to sleet on my walk to the subway, and then to yoga. When I walked out of my studio an hour and a half later, the streets and sidewalks were covered. My fellow yogis and I gasped at the sight when we were exiting the studio. 

I guess one more blizzard days before spring begins is okay.