Last month I used Chart Jungle to create a meal plan for the month. This worked out really well for us. We still grocery shop for the week, but now I don’t have to think about what to get and our list is a bit smaller. This month I noticed that Chart Jungle also has a food inventory chart. I thought it would be an excellent idea to make a list of all the stuff we still have (in the freezer and canned on the shelf). An even better idea is to turn the food inventory chore into a drinking game.

Game rules:

Take a drink any time you come across the following: can of crushed pineapple (We had five cans, plus a can of tidbits because Chris is really an 80 year old retiree.), can of chicken noodle soup (don’t ask), miscellaneous items like canned spreadable cheese or canned dolma (I understand the dolma, but the canned cheese was left by aliens), frozen salmon filets (there’s a whole unopened bag in there!), bag of frozen berries (Again…did I mention Chris is really 80?).

*By now you probably need to refill that drink.

Empty glass whenever you come across something completely unrecognizable in the freezer.

It’s amazing that I’m still able to type.

Today marks the end of my 365 dayproject on Flickr. WOOT! It was fun, but, Man, am I exhausted. I resisted starting this project for a number of reasons, but was goaded into it by Chris and some friends. And since they were all jumping off a cliff, I might as well jump too. A year later and some of those people dropped out, some of them (sadly) I don’t talk to any more, and one of them finished. There were many days where I felt like dropping out, but I am tenacious and have a tendency to finish the things I start.

I’m actually glad that I did this project. I’ve never liked getting my picture taken and to take a picture of yourself every day sounded like torture. But I’ve learned a lot by doing the 365 day project. First off, I’ve learned some basic camera skills and learned how to use some of my camera settings. I’ve learned how to adjust for different lighting. I may have to play around with the setting a little at first, but I have a basic idea of where they need to be so things aren’t over exposed. I have no great aspirations of being a great photographer or making money from this. I just want to be able to take good pictures and to have fun while doing that; it’s a hobby.

I also feel that this project taught me a lot about myself. I have a visual log of how much weight I’ve lost over the year. But most importantly, I’ve learned to be OK with me, with this body I have in this moment. I took some some pretty unflattering pictures, but I took some really great ones too. This project made me discover confidence I never new I had. It also forced me to be some what creative.

It really was a worthwhile project. I love scrolling through them because they are a record of all the things that have happened in year. I did some pretty awesome things while working on the 365 day. Bought a scooter. Got a motorcycle license. Started yoga teacher training. Went on a fabulous vacation. Got to go to some really great concerts. My best friend had a baby. All of this is recorded in some way in these pictures and it’s been an amazing ride. But it’s time for a break and I’m relieved to finally be finished.

Session two of yoga teacher training happened this weekend. It’s all down hill from here. There’s no anatomy, sanskrit or quizzes in session two. That means it should be a breeze right? WRONG. Session two is about teaching yoga to beginners. And by beginner, I mean people who have never done, seen, smelt or experienced yoga in any way. Still, I thought this might be easy.

I’m having a problem with all the dialog associated with the lessons I have to teach. There just seems to be so much talking and explaining about the how and why of doing it this way instead of that way. It doesn’t help that I scheduled my first class for today at lunch time. I didn’t have much time to study and prepare. I had a full class of ten with all of them new except for two. I just felt bumbly and off. Like I should have had a V8. I’m teaching the class again this evening. Hopefully I learned something form the lunch time class.

The good news is I received my certificate for completing 180 hours of training in yoga teacher training. I can take this certificate and start knocking on gym doors. I need to start teaching for pay. I have some yoga related things that I need to pay for and it would be nice to pay for it with money earned teaching yoga related things. I’m so close to being done with this. There’s only three training weekends left (we don’t have one in May) and then I can register with Yoga Alliance and be a legitimate bona-fide yoga teacher. Whew!

MyHero.jpg, originally uploaded by Elephant Soap.

I could waste the day with this! Thanks Zelda.

Yeah, this really belongs on the yoga blog, but since that doesn’t exist yet, I’ve got to put it here. It took me a while to get used to my Neti pot, but after awhile and learning the proper way to use it, I have learned to love the thing. It has saved me from many sinus infections. I’ve recommended the neti pot to everyone. So I kind of feel like maybe I should post some tips on the proper way to use the thing. These are things that may or may not have been included in the instructions, but are good to know.

First off, never use the neti right before going to bed. You have to give your sinuses enough time to dry out or any left over fluid will just settle there when you lie down. This can lead to an infection. I’ve been known to use my neti twice a day during really bad allergy times. It’s fine to use it in the evening. Just be sure you give yourself three to four hours to dry out.

A lot of people have complained about the taste. If water is running down your throat and into your mouth, you need to tuck your chin (forehead higher then the chin). Also, it’s really important that you don’t swallow while using the neti. Your eustachian tubes open when you swallow and fluid can get in. This can lead to an ear infection. Keeping the chin tucked will help.

After you’ve completed both sides and blown your nose, you need to help start the drying out process. Fold forward from the hip joints and tuck the chin into the chest. Bring head back to neutral and come up half way. Turn the head from side to side a couple of times and then come back up to standing letting the head come back. Then return the head back to neutral. Blow your nose again and then do a moisture test by blowing five times out of each nostril. It should be fairly dry, but you can repeat all that again if you feel like you need to.

I know all this sounds gross and slightly scary. But really, once you get it down, it’s really very easy. And as someone prone to sinus infections, I can honestly say that using my neti pot daily has made a huge difference.

Anna recently asked me about the Okie Blog Awards and I kind of had forgotten about them. Well, I lost. Actually I probably shouldn’t use the word “lost”. More like, I didn’t win.

I know this going to sound like loser talk, but it’s true, so shut it. I feel that I won just by being nominated. There are a heck of a lot of Oklahoma blogs roaming around out there. I was surprised that I had other Oklahoma bloggers actually reading my blog.

I never started writing this blog with the intention to win any thing or to even entertain. I’ve met so many great people over the years and made some really terrific friendships. I miss these people. The blog is just one of the many ways we stay connected. So…that’s that. Now where’s that after party that all those award thingies always seem to have?

I know. Valentine's Day at the Eiffel Tower is a complete cliche. But that's why it would be funny for Chris and I to go. We don't do Valentine's Day. We've just never been good at Corporate planned romance. Oh, we've tried. Candy hearts and a romantic dinner for two. Except the candy heart turned out to taste like plastic and the romantic dinner turned into a two hour wait for food in a loud crowded place like Chili's.

We got it right once, but it was only because we forgot it was Valentine's Day. We tried out a new Indian food place in Edmond (sadly closed). Our server was very nice and asked if we were there for their Valentine's Day special dinner for two. Chris and I looked at each other and said "today's Valentine's Day?!?". Our server thought we were the most hilarious couple and gave us free dessert.

Today is Chris’s birthday. So every one needs to go over to his place and wish him a happy one and to give him a hard time for his blogger slacking. We don’t have big plans, because he wanted things simple. So, we’re meeting at the local pub for beer and cupcakes. Right up Chris’s alley.

Off topic note: Tomorrow is the last day to vote for the Okie Awards. If you have an Oklahoma blog, go vote (for Me!).

One of Chris’s New Year’s resolutions is to give to a different charity every month. He asked me to pick the charity this time around and I was like “uh…OK”. How do you choose? Just one?

I thought I’d choose something local. So I googled Oklahoma Charities, but I didn’t see anything truly inspiring. Don’t get me wrong. Charities are all good. But I wanted to choose a charity where I new my small donation would do the most good.

I went with the Oklahoma Humane Society. Hooper has been such a blessing in our lives and we were able to make his life better. Chris and I still get teary when we talk about leaving him in the pound an extra night because we weren’t prepared for a dog. What if he had been adopted or worse before we could get him? We also regret not getting Hooper’s cell mate too. The day we adopted Hooper was starting to turn into Schindler’s List. But I can’t adopt all of them, so I might as well help out in other ways.

Chris installed Blogo on to Gert over the weekend. So really this post is more or less a test of this program. I really don’t have much to say. Chris and I didn’t really do much this weekend, but our usual errand crap that includes driving around the city from grocery store to grocery store.

I needed to go the Chinese Market to pick up some vegetables and we got there as the entire Asian district was celebrating the Chinese New Year. You know those giant wheels of cheese that you see in restaurants as decoration? I watched a guy unroll a wheel about that size of black cats. This was minutes after detonating off a previous roll.

I took a bunch of crappy pictures of the litter and the dragons dancing around. I’m still having a hard time knowing what camera settings work best for certain situations. I do OK when it’s just me in a room with a light because I feel like I can spend time making adjustments. But in the real world, with action going on, I have a little bit of a hard time. But that’s how you learn right? I know the next time I’m shooting outside on a bright sunny day exactly what to set the shutter speed and ISO to.

I’m making some head way on that resolution list.