Muse

RR is dabbling with CPY-Honolulu while my fellow TT's and I dive ever further into the vanilla C1 flow that defines CPY beginner yoga.  And while there is in fact nothing wrong with the C1 flow, it just gets a bit monotonous and predictable after 8 or 9 months of learning it.  It isn't like ashtanga, mired with options and opportunities to garnish.  So I've sort of tried to find my own ways to make it fun, like attempting adho mukha svanasana to bakasana, like I did today, unsuccessfully during class, but I pulled one off after.  And throwing in hurdler's during runner's lunge.  Anyway, the bottom line is that the C1 flow is about as un-fun as the ashtanga primary series is fun, and yet they are both yoga, they both make me plenty happy, and they both soak my yogitoes towel with sweat.

On to the matter at hand, more KS questions.

*do any movies make you cry?

I watched "bridesmaids" last night and almost cried from laughter a few times.  But I'm guessing you mean crying like what my friend Nina does with every tearjerker movie known to man.  Hmm, good question.  I'd say it takes a really well done movie to make me cry.  It has happened, but usually I feel manipulated into it.  And yet I can weep heavily reading books.  I was bawling at the end of Marley and Me which I finished just prior to some minor surgery.  The Filipino nurse thought I was all worried about the procedure and tried to console me, and it got annoying trying to explain to her how I was particularly touched by the death of a dog who resembled my own.  I remember finishing the Art of Racing in the Rain while Rod ran Angeles Crest and crying through my sunglasses.  My sister's keeper also induced the eyeball flow.  I guess I might have cried a little bit watching the Descendants, but I think I was crying for missing out on the whole Hawaiian lifestyle as much as the story.

*do you like massages?

I've had one massage worth mentioning.  My two friends from Finland, Mika and Tompa used to come through San Diego on their way to Kona to race Ironman.  They would typically bring Mauno, their coach/mentor/masseuse with them.  Mauno spoke very little english, but that man had hands that could bend iron.  I got only one massage from him.  That was maybe 2003 or possibly 2002, I forget.  I still remember it.  I've had various massages from many different women and none of them were bad by any means, but they just weren't the same (sorry LT, you know you are awesome, but there's just a difference between an elbow and man hands.)  And to be honest, I'm not sure how much I enjoy being touched by a guy while I'm on the table wearing next to nothing.  So I mostly just skip this stuff.  Interestingly enough, I was just recently given a gift certificate to a local spa by my TC kula.  That deserves it's own post.  I'm fairly petrified of how likely I am to fail and enjoying that experience.  I'm too much in my own head I guess?

*have you ever had a manicure?  pedicure?

No, never, but I really want to get a pedicure sometime and I have plans with Shelley to do so, we just haven't ever done it yet.  My feet gross me out.  Runners and toenails don't mix well.

*do certain people scare you?

No, I am not scared of other people.  I did jokingly ask some bikers "hey, are we going to get our asses kicked if we go in there" referring to the California Club in Auburn on our first experience there a few memorial day weekends ago.  I'd like to think the Hawaiian childhood made me capable of surviving in rough environments where I'm the minority.  I certainly know when to shut my pie hole and when to be submissive.  But I've never once been in a physical fight.  Never thrown a punch.  Never felt remotely threatened.

*do you talk during sex?  or do you prefer quiet?

I honestly don't really remember.  I don't think I talk.  But I also never thought I snore and I've been told that I do.  I am sure if I watched a video of me doing yoga I'd be surprised at all the things I do, the noises I make, etc.  I guess I have to pass on this question for now.

*favorite course in college?

I remember 3 professors who struck me as over the top brilliant, among many outstanding professors. One was Ed Felton, who has written a number of articles exposing security flaws in encryption algorithms.  one was David Hansen or drh, who wrote lcc or the "little c compiler" and was an example genius to me before I understood what that word meant.  And the last is David Billington who was Civ E and had these incredible slides of all the bridges and buildings he has traveled to and seen.  His class was like art history for engineer geeks and he was one of the most interesting lecturers I've ever had.  

*do you like dark chocolate over milk?

Yes.  Once you go dark, you never go back.

*do you ever go to church?  temple?  

No, but I feel guilty for not doing this.  I figure Mom is out there shaking her finger at me every Sunday.  I'd just rather sweat than dress up nice and sing hymns.

*do you snore?  if so, has it ever caused issues for those you live with?  

Apparently I do.  I don't think it's too bad.  I think Hunter snores louder than I do.  He doesn't seem to mind my snoring at least.

*are you up to date on laundry?

I heart laundry and dishes, but I'm perpetually behind on both b/c roommate Trevor likes to leave dirty dishes for me to clean and because yoga clothes pile up quickly, especially those sweat soaked yogitoes towels.  Jenna did some laundry for me last week which helped.  I do enjoy folding laundry a bit more than the average bear might.

*do you ever iron?

Very rarely.  I actually designed a fold out ironing board into the master closet but it never got built and I'm not crying about that.  I just wear my stuff wrinkled or I dry clean stuff that has to be ironed.

*can you find your mulha bundha?  or at least feel like you can tap into it?

I've thought about this for weeks since you asked and ever since TT.  Shane cues mulha bundha a lot.  I feel like it is accessible to me for a second or two and quickly slips away.  I don't know if this is illusion or not.  I don't know if what I'm "engaging" is the right spot or the right muscles or whatever.  It seems really hard, like trying to stay current on your practice or current on sleep or trying to keep someone you care about happy :)

*when was the last time you flew a kite?

I was heavily into kites as a kid.  We lived one block from the beach so I had ideal onshore breezes within 2 minutes if I wanted them.  I had 3 or 4 high performance kites.  I got kite string tangled up horribly on a few occasions.  I had a lot of fun with that stuff.  It's been years.  I think I'd find them sort of boring now.

*are quiet women attractive to you?  or do you prefer more outspoken women? 

I wish I had some understanding of how attraction works.  The best explanation I remember on that subject was:

"attraction starts off with biology and builds based on mutual respect."

I like that explanation.  But I find myself extremely frustrated with the whole biology part of the equation.

*favorite nut?

Pecan or pine nut depending on the situation with a strong runner up to the walnut.