This morning, after days of waiting and praying, we got word that my friends Lisa and Jamie's house burned to the ground in the Central Texas fires. They are among the "luckier " ones --- they had insurance, a friend got in past the barricades and rescued their pets and some valuables; they were traveling when it happened and already had some clothes and necessities packed. They have a place to stay and a lot of people who love them and will help take care of them.
It still sucks beyond any belief. I can sympathize but I cannot really fully grasp the horror. And there are so many, many others out there who have lost everything. This is a video showing the speed and voracity of these fires, especially in Monday's windy conditions. In fact, it shows the fire eating up Bastrop State Park (100 acres left out of 6000):
Some of my friends were fortunate; I've heard from at least two that their homes were spared. But over 1000 homes were taken in the Bastrop fires alone.
If you would like to help, here is a list of local places accepting donations of goods and money. Also, local musicians Will Taylor and Strings Attached are doing a benefit show this Saturday at the Nutty Brown Cafe. Here's information on that. Goods and cash donations are being accepted, and there will also be a silent auction. I've donated some private voice lessons and season tickets to Spotlight on Opera.
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Over the last couple of days I got hit by some kind of bug that laid me low, pretty much sucking all my energy for anything other than basic household tasks. It meant skipping a couple of days of working out, but since this is a "rest" week for P90X, I don't feel too far behind. On Monday I went to a beginning Ashtanga yoga class, and it was reasonably strenuous --- I certainly worked up a sweat and would not mind hitting this class regularly. I'm familiar with most of the asanas but you move through them much faster than I'm used to doing, and slightly differently. Ashtanga will certainly help you improve strength and flexibilty.
So Tuesday and Wednesday I was a big slug, but I'm doing better today, well enough to attend a pole dancing class with my sister-in-law at Inner Diva Studios. Now, I have a couple of girlfriends who do this fer realz, and they are in AMAZING shape. Real pole-dancing is extremely athletic and requires a great deal of upper body strength. And it's beautiful to watch.
We certainly didn't do anything this advanced --- this was a beginning class --- but it was a lot of fun and I can see why it's so popular. First of all, the studio is ladies only. It's very cute and feminine, and sexy in a completely non-threatening way. No sleaze in sight. My only complaint, as a matter of fact, was the overuse of scented products (candles, potpourri, what have you). They were trying to create a beautiful, feminine atmosphere but it was a little overpowering, and I'm particularly sensitive to odors.
Everyone was dressed in athletic gear, mostly yoga pants and t-shirts, and there were all body types. Our instructor was a cute, petite young lady named Brenna. This particular class was mostly comprised of dance moves (I would have liked a more comprehensive warm-up) and Brenna did a great job of breaking each one down. They ranged from easy to challenging, but nothing beginners, even the less coordinated among us, couldn't handle. We used our arms a lot and gave our calves a great workout, standing on our toes most of the time to simulate high heels. You also use a lot of core, pulling yourself up and around the pole and pushing up off the floor. I can see how, if you do this sort of thing regularly, it would be a great workout, although this particular class was not especially strenuous. However, it was fun, and something different, and I would be interested in trying it again, especially if there was one that was a little more geared towards working up a sweat.
My goal for the rest of the week is just to jump back in with the P90X. I need to be working a little harder, but this week it just hasn't been possible. Moving forward ... it will be.
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