Feel New Spring

The billboard for the spring collection of women's clothes at the station has been suggesting this for the past few weeks. Yesterday it finally came true. Walked outside with my coat on, turned around, went back in and left it inside. The sun was shining and the temperature, while not warm, was no cold either. I think we call it cool.

Glad I did leave my coat, as the train was pretty warm. As usual the heaters were on even though the car was full of people wearing big coats. By four o'clock in the arvo the cooler weather had returned, but that was ok. I'd rather have a five-minute walk home in the cold than two hours sweltering on the train.

What I also felt was New Hay Fever. Watery eyes and a runny nose were the prevailing fashion for the day. I must now begin to lookout for the campaign girls who give away tissue packs in front of the station. The packs contain about 10 tissues and a leaflet advertising something or other that gets binned immediately. But the tissues are mighty handy, being pocket size and free.

Juiced up

Bought some Mocha Italian coffee on the way home. Put too much into the percolator and it felt like my first night at Fight Club - I had to fight.

Gym gymminy, gym gyminny

But instead took it out on Power Yoga. Or rather it took it out on me. I think that there is some progress happening at the gym. I weighed myself and found that I've misplaced 2 kilos. I won't be so confident as to say lost. I think misplaced is closer to the truth, as I'm sure the aforementioned kilos will turn up again in the future.

And yet to look in the mirror one wouldn't know that 2 kilos have mysteriously evaporated. The stomach is at best "saggy", and the third chin could be described as "pending". Despite a lack of visual encouragement physique wise, I am really enjoying the Power Yoga. Some of the positions are less painful than before, but any position that has the word "warrior" in it should be renamed "surrender monkey". These "warrior / surrender monkey" positions are really quite painful on the legs. They're like fencing stances, but rather than the brief second they would be held for as in fencing, one remains in them for a minute or more. Que the wobbly legs.

It is nice to do something physical that is not competitive. I used to like to play only a handful of sports - fencing and squash. Not really a handful is it. More like two fingerfuls. It could be represented as either a peace sign (overly used by women in Japanese photographs) or turn it around, palm towards your face for a nice little "fuck u" (overly used by men in Australian photographs). Whichever, it doesn't say much for my sporting prowess. However, both those sports I enjoyed with the passion of an ungifted amateur. There was a certain camaraderie that came from playing sport for fun with one's friends. It really didn’t matter whom one or lost, the journey itself was really satisfying.

Unless it was Ted and squash. I just had to beat him.
Or Mr. Henderson and squash or fencing. No way was I going to lose to him.
Or Alix and fencing. Damn I'd get angry if she beat me.
Ditto for Werner.
Losing a squash match against a Versace boy was really, really hard to take.
Ditto for Mr. Logic.
Waa and squash. To lose a point was embarrassing. How is that backhand Big Waa?
And it was always fun to beat Canadian Fred, because he'd just go off.

So really, apart from these few exceptions that brought out the competitive spirit in me, I think that I took pleasure just in the doing.

It's different with Power Yoga. Like in life and some sporting goods slogans, there is no first prize in Power Yoga. There is no reason to look around the room and compare oneself to the other players and think, "Ha. No way is she going to be able to do 'Downward Facing Dog'. That's one point for me.”

Yes, there is no confidence-boosting win. Just the endless parade of shame as yet again Man Fails to Balance on One Leg.


Power Yoga - it's vogueing for masochists. Just do it.