back pain and book reading

So here I am, in complete and utter pain and want to just fall asleep in a fog of wine and pleasant thoughts - but nay nay! I wish to post!

I was attempting to do this workout when I totally strained my lumbar spine...I've done a variation of the workout before - but this time I was learning how to do the high knees with the jump rope:

And the past two days my back has not let me forget it. I even had to bow out of a concert invite because I have not been able to stand or sit comfortably at all (I've braced myself with two glasses of vino before even attempting this venture - just imagine how painful work is!)
Hopefully everything will be healed by the weekend so I can see some Pride parade and life can get back to normal...or at least I can get back to my workouts (I miss them...and really LOVE Bodyrock.tv).
- PLEASE NOTE, THIS INJURY IS MY FAULT AND SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS WITH PROPER FORM - I have done plenty of these workouts without an issue.

So now to books - after re-reading the Mantra for Murder series (see my first post) I felt the pull towards another "cozy" series - and I found the Coffee House Mysteries, picking up the first three volumes with a gift card (and it doesn't hurt that they're $8 a pop in the first place).

I've read the first book since Saturday - so they do flow quickly, and to be honest - they didn't make it easy to solve. I even wrote who I thought was the killer in the front cover with the date - and I was wrong (which almost never happens)!

Hoping the second book is good, and the third is better - sometimes you need to really get into a series before you can tell if you like it or not (I read all four Twilight books in a week and felt jilted - there!).

Next time I want to talk about my weird favorite radio stations and some apps I love...any requests?

~cas

nails and namaste

Today I want to share with everyone two of my great loves: nail polish and yoga.

These two things have nothing to do with each other, but I've had a rough day and wanted to write about something that makes me happy!

Firstly, I love to wear black. I've worn mostly black clothing since I was a tween (therefore accused of being both a witch and a lesbian in middle school - but who wasn't?). Anyhoo, I also love to wear black nailpolish - it makes my beat up fingers and toes look awesome -
if it's done the right way!

Please note: any funky color can be worn successfully as long as your nails are nice and short, well filed into a squoval shape (if you don't know what that is consult your google).

Now I know what you're thinking - but cas, what about in an office setting?
I wear it at the office too! I'm fortunate to have a position where I'm not face to face with clients all that often, and as I said above - funky colors look nice on nice nails!
And when work really gets hectic, I switch to perhaps the only brownish color I own - it's called caffeine fix and helps inspire me to crack open the Red Bull and get to work!
But it's not always appropriate to wear the black or the bold - and in those instances, my favoritest favoritest color is by Essie called Sugar Daddy. It's the Bubble Bath of the Essie collection and will always be in my basket.

What are some of your favorite nail colors? And when do you like to wear them?

Switching themes, now onto yoga. Like a good nap, yoga is the refresher of a day. It can prepare your body and mind to sit at a desk while people yell at you - and it can clear your mind and unwind your spine afterwards. Or it can have the effects of a warm bubble bath before bed.
I've been practicing yoga off and on for nearly 14 years, having started just after I had my son - and fell in love at first asana.

Here is a simple truth: EVERYONE. CAN. DO. YOGA.

Of the bazillions of poses, there are bazillions of modifications. It just takes time, a little bit of effort, and a lot of listening to your body.
So check out some poses and meditations and see what it can do for you! Even though I may never be able to do this pose - after every session I feel like I could.


~cas
(p.s. - never thought I'd have occasion to use "bubble bath" twice in one post...)

too hot & a tartan cape?

okay it's about 90 degrees outside, and i'm sweating like crazy - but i'm still going to attempt to keep up with a daily blog (except for cottage days bien sur)
so anyhoo, while researching some family history i discovered that not supremely distantly i'm part scottish (classic mutt talking here) and my family is of the Clark clan. In addition i've discovered that the tartan is beautiful - look!

love love love it! and there are a plethora of sites where you can order clothing and kilts and bags, etc in your clan's tartan - and since it's so hot i thought of when it will be cold again...which then made me think of a fancy cloak/cape...here is my dream one
http://www.lindaclifford.com/CapeEdinburgh.html

which then, of course...led me to this clip...must be the heat
http://youtu.be/KDbN9TZqFcg

~cas

Back to the grind stone...

I've just come off of a week's vacation - and in the first 4 days I re-read these three books. They are the classic "cozy" type murder mysteries that often are found in a rented cabin - except this time those books were placed there by me.
My family has a beautiful tiny cottage in Honeoye NY, and I've stocked the shelves with some of my old books, and plenty of easy-read mysteries (as well as some "I've always meant to read that" classics).

Taking a vacation is vital to being productive at work. Yes, using your PTO for multiple long weekends seems better than long stretches - but if that's how you operate may I please suggest every other year just taking a full week and saying "bugger all!"?

My sweetie and I have never had a mutual paid week off before - and let me tell you, after nearly 10 years it was well overdue!

So, tomorrow - back to work. I've got all of my work clothes cleaned, straightened up those spots around the house that you always mean to straighten up (given the time...), and am almost excited to get back to the routine.

I take this to mean that I've successfully rested and refreshed myself for the next however many weeks until the next office holiday.