Obnoxious Cat, Mother Nature, Dorm Room, Revenge

A recent meeting with my coach in discussing endurance and strength training and upcoming events got me thinking about motivation.

Motivation is a funny thing.

Sometimes you search for it, ferret it out from the dark corner in which it hides, and hold fast so it doesn't slip away. I call that Obnoxious Cat motivation. It doesn't want to be there, it's temporary, and in the end it slinks away and hides once again, not wanting to be found. I could use another adjective, but cats are pretty darn obnoxious so it stays.

And other times, motivation sweeps over you like a warm wave...or takes your breath away like a cold blast of air. This is Mother Nature motivation. It's unpredictable, a force to be reckoned with, and can have lasting effects. You've got to use it to your advantage, and ride it out. Don't fight it - own it!

There's also Dorm Room motivation. This is a goofy, fun one that can be really useful. Cut out pics of people or places or things that represent your end goal - whether it's a trip to Antigua, a sleek new Audi or that wicked six-pack stomach - and put together a collage for your wall/fridge/bathroom mirror. To see these motivational images everyday reminds you of why you're up at 5 a.m. to work out or just work.

And othen there's this - one of the best motivators of all. Revenge. Being able to prove to yourself that the someone whom you thought was in your corner isn't needed....they don't figure into your plan. You've let their empty words, their fasle solicitousness hold you back, but no longer. You've got support. You've got a plan. You've Got This. And when you reach your goal, you've won. For yourself.

Mine is currently a combination, about 65/25 Mother Nature and Revenge, with a smidge of Dorm Room thrown in (nothing on my walls, but my screen saver serves me well.)

What's yours?

Small Circles and Barnyard Skills

My coach put me through an awesome workout yesterday, which brought on the sore about two hours after. I think it's peaked...lets hope, because I've got a 9-mile run today. Either way it will be enjoyable.

Supporter vs Cheerleader: Supporters pony up and bring it, cheerleaders dress up & yell, all flash and no substance.

Schooling and hipster glasses don't hide the barnyard skills.

Small circles are sometimes better.

Met the owner of one of the establishments we hung out at last night. Very genuine, easy and delightful to be around. Kinda made my night.

Thundersleet

A winter storm approaches. The city of St. Louis freaks out.

However, this storm looks to be bringing ice with it, which does not bode well for anyone - not even a native North Dakotan like me who's been through many blizzards and learned how to drive in disasterous conditions. So, freaking out is a good thing in this case.

That said, my inner survivalist kicked in. I packed up my cold-weather emergency roadside kit. The following are things that everyone should have within reach if they're traveling during a weather emergency:

-flares
-a blanket
-a flashlight (I have one but need batteries, which I'll be getting shortly)
-gloves, hat, mittens, jacket, socks (extra layering for warmth in case you get stuck)
-water
-energy bars
-phone charger
-ice scraper
-pocket knife (this goes with me on kayaking trips also...for cutting errant fishing line that can take you down)
-towel (if you get wet, gotta dry off to prevent frostbite)
-Lighter (melting snow)
-Red scarf (for tying to antenna for visibilty, alerts)
-Little first aid kit

They're taking about power outages. When that happens, I tend to turn up my heat an extra 5 degrees, which helps prevent the house from cooling down as quickly. I also make sure I know where my flashlights are, candles and lighters.

Good times on the horizon. We'll see how this all shakes out.

Star Wars

Where's Superman when you need him?

http://news.yahoo.com/possible-meteor-shower-reported-eastern-russia-052833588.html?.tsrc=yahoo

Movie Review - Side Effects

Soderbergh's latest flick is even, entertaining and not without a few twists that make for a sweet ending.

Rooney Mara was steady in her delivery, as was Jude Law...I'd forgotten how enjoyable he is to watch. Catherine Zeta-Jones was too over-the-top for me but glammy enough to pay attention to. Channing Tatum was barely there, but enough to hold my attention. What might hold your attention, whatever your predilection, is the girl-on-girl action. Wait for it - it's good.

As with most Soderbergh flicks, he provides a realistic, intimate look into relationships and doesn't hold back much - there are some steamy scenes that bring to life what might otherwise feel like a character study.

The plot twists aren't too heavy handed, and there's some foreshadowing to help get you there.

All in all, a fine film to spend an afternoon with.

Mindfulness

I first learned of mindfulness years ago when I dated a practicing Buddhist. I only started practicing it myself when it was reintroduced to me when I was pursuing my therapy degree.

Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you practice mindfulness you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance without judgement. You love in the moment.

It's very helpful to find well-being and combat stress.

It also helps tremendously in learning how to respond to self and outside criticism.

It's also incredibly helpful when running. I practice this at the beginning of my run, which ultimately morphs into a meditative state.

Good stuff.

In the immortal words of Kiss...

...Shout It Out Loud.

Or, at least speak up.

If you don't ask for what you want, chances are you're not going to get it.

Mind reading isn't a talent anyone has mastered, so don't expect anyone to know what you're thinking.

That said, speak your peace.

Make your intentions known.

Ask for what you want.

If you don't ask, and you don't get it, the loss is on you.

I Love It Loud.

Metro hot-handedness

On Friday afternoon while I was at my desk working on a project, I realized how painfully tight my neck and shoulder muscles were. It had been a very busy week, and with my training, class and unexpected projects, the tension had settled in and boy was it painful.

Not for long.

I had a small window of opportunity on Friday between getting off of work and plans I had, so I decided to call a local spa to see if they had any openings. I really didn't think I'd be successful - but kept my fingers crossed that they'd have something.

Yup they did, from 5:30 - 6:00.

Bam. Done. Booked it.

The spa is called Metro, and it's on 1st Capital just off of Main Street in St. Chuck. My appointment was with RC. I found parking, and walked into a very small space, which looked to be in the middle of renovations.

A strapping gentleman with a beaming smile and tangible charisma walked into the foyer from the back hallway and asked if I was Kristin. He then introduced himself as RC and that he'd be handling my massage that day.

Find and dandy by me.

He handed me a menu, and asked me to choose music I'd like to listen to whilst getting rubbed down.

The choices were, in a word, fantastic. Really. Tori Amos, Mazzy Star, Portishead were just a few of the tantalizing picks. Did they sneak a peek at my college playlist? Uncanny. I settled on Dead Can Dance "Spirit Chaser", one of my favorite albums of all time.

The massage room  was cozy, warm and smelled very fainlty of something minty. Turned out it was the massage oil they use...Aveda something or other.

The massage itself was more than I could've hoped for. He focused on my lower back, upper back, shoulders and neck. He was working out the knots with easy pressure, and when he'd move on to another area, I felt such relief in the spots he had just manipulated. His hands were large, but not rough. He'd also warmed them up, as well as the table, so the entire experience was like a giant, warm hug.

When my eyes weren't closed, I had a good view of his shoes. Very large, handsome leather slip-ons. Perhaps Earth, Ecco or some other earthy-crunchy label. Probably good for someone who's on their feet all day.

He finished off by pulling a hot, wet towel out of the towel warmer and draping it across my back, where he pressed down with his hands and slowly slipped it off.

Perfection.

I have to say, for a last-minute quicky massage, it surpassed my expectations.

Go see RC at Metro. You won't be disappointed. Tell him Kristin Hall sent you.

Below is my favorite song from Spiritchaser.

These things are not good.

Unleashed, large-breed dogs with no human in sight.

Sore neck.

Back-to-back conference calls. All day.

Current gas prices.

Covert narcissists.

Rainy-day traffic in STL.

Parents passing on their fears and strife to their kids. Innocence is to be protected at all costs.

Realizing your favorite pair of kicks are a size too small to run long distances in. Numb feet are no fun.

Banana bread with nuts. Why ruin a lovely flavor and consistency with nuts? Not a nice surprise.

Fashionistas jumping off bridges. Waste of life.

Freezing rain.

Finally learning how old your rescue dog really is, and realizing that there's probably not much time left.

Speaking of dogs, the price of quality dog food. Outrageous.

The state of mental health care in our country. It's failing so many...

Mistaking a plaintain for a banana.

Mistaking unsavory ulterior motives for true friendship.

Lack of sleep when paired with operating heavy machinery or high-level communication efforts.

Not giving yourself a break.

These things are good.

Pirate aspirations.

Surfer dudes with hatchet skills.

Long gazes, no words.

Double features, one ticket.

Getting here to there without stopping.

A good mix of intensity and duration. Often.

Colin Ferrell movies.

Burning calories the old fashioned way.

Matching socks.

Long, happy makeout sessions.

Sigur Ros.

Having a conversation without speaking.

Really deep, satisfying laughter.

Brutal, painful, look-in-this-mirror-and-face-the-fire honesty.

Chinese takeout jammie carpet picnic.

Catching a good B&W movie with the right person.

Breakfast for dinner.

Taking the leap.

Worn-soft sheets.

River sounds.

Playing records long into the deep, dark night.

Tonging - opposite of spooning…sleeping back-to-back but touching. Very intimate but yet, you also feel you have your space…

Bah

That's my new favorite word.

It's not negative, but rather used as emphasis.

An example:

"We got more inches of snow than expected. Bah."

My next favorite word?

Cabining.

:-)

Funny Bidness....kah KAW!

Ran across this article today about being vocal in bed...how it's a turn on for both parties.

Sure, making some noises is better than silence. If you've ever had a partner who was fairly silent during the nookie, you know that any noise is better no noise at all. Yeah...that's no fun.

But what if the person you're getting it on with has that weird, high-pitched, nasaly "sex voice" that jars you out of the moment and makes you open your eyes to make sure you're still doing it with a dude and not a a dudette?

You KNOW what I'm talking about...those disconcerting noises that sound like bird calls.

Upon googling "funny sex noises", I found this gem.




Kah KAW!