Bikram Yoga

I used to do a lot of yoga . . .you know. . .when I was young . . .
I used to do a lot of running. . .you know. . .when I was young. . .

Thinking back, I used to do a lot of things before I worked at job that took up my entire life. Then I got smart and got a better job that gave me more time to myself.

I used to do a lot of things before I got a dog that took up my entire life. Then I got smart. . .wait. . .I still have that dog. . .but I also have a life. . .

What to do with said "life"?

YOGA!!! And not just any yoga- Bikram Yoga.

Bikram Yoga is different from other forms of yoga in that the studio is heated to 105 degrees with 40% humidity. Also, there are 26 postures that are repeated twice during each 90 minute class. The heat is said to help relax the muscles more which helps one get deeper into the pose. I really enjoy the heat - although I am not a big fan of the sweaty men in speedos doing yoga next to me.

Bikram Choudhury, the founder, has copyrighted and franchised Bikram Yoga which has created a lot of controversy. Many people feel that "making money off of yoga" goes against the spiritual aspect of yoga itself. Also, yoga has been around for a couple hundred years and Choudhury has only been around since 1946. I will say that his franchising has actually been beneficial to me because all of the teachers must attend his classes; which means that all of the Bikram Yoga classes are exactly the same. It is great for a beginner because you quickly learn what it is you are supposed to do. It is also nice for people who travel because they could attend any Bikram Yoga studio in any state/country and it will be exactly the same as it is at their home studio.

I also like the price. . .$10 for 10 classes for 10 consecutive days. Yeah, only an idiot would do 10 straight days of yoga. . . let me be clear, I am not said idiot! I took a two days off. . .

Hobbies

My new hobby:



Yes, it is a sock.

I have been needing a hobby for a long time. Since most of my life revolves around dogs, it can be difficult to branch out and find something different to do. And while knitting isn't new for me, going to knitting group is. I know, it is completely out of character for me to seek out and participate in a group activity, but this is really fun. The girls in the group are all about my age, and while most of their talk revolves around yarn, I still enjoy the company.

I now regularly find myself in a whole new world of yarn stores, bamboo needles, "knitting in the round", and patterns. The sock was a little difficult, but tons of fun. This picture doesn't show the bunion block I accidentally created when forming the heel.

I still need to finish the baby blanket (ok, let's be honest and call it an afghan!) but because it is so large I find myself getting bored with it. Now I have a few other projects that I am working in rotation.

And I'm seriously thinking about ravelry . . .(wait, did I just admit that out loud????)

How To Make An Animal Rescue Worker Angry

There are many things that make an individual animal shelter/rescue worker angry; and each day will bring about different frustrations. Some days it's about the shelter/rescue itself. It could be the bureaucracy or the red tape. Some times its the people who give up their animal. Sometimes it's the annoying questions asked by adopters. Sometimes it's the animal itself: you put an enormous amount of energy into an animal that just can't be saved - ok, this is all displaced anger, and we know it, but it can be difficult to help. Some days, its as simple as the hose that doesn't work right.

But there is one thing that will ALWAYS make a shelter/rescue worker angry. This is something that will upset us no matter what day, or time of day, you tell us. It will anger us years after we burn out and get out of the rescue field.

The one thing that will always anger a rescue/shelter worker:

BUYING A CAT

People, there are THOUSANDS of cats that die every day in animal shelters. And in a few weeks, there will be THOUSANDS of KITTENS that die every day.

If you want a kitten, please save a few hundred dollars and adopt an already spayed/neuter, FeLv/FIV tested, microchipped, de-wormed, vaccinated kitten. Why not save a life?

Ravelry

I have been knitting since I was about 18 - that's TEN WHOLE YEARS! There isn't a whole lot that I have been doing for that long. Sometimes I feel so old. . .

I taught myself to knit right before my first trip to Europe. SFO to Heathrow is a long flight and while I enjoy reading, I can't do it for 10 straight hours. The next logical idea was to find something to keep my mind occupied and my body (slightly) busy. And these were the days before 9/11 when you could actually bring METAL knitting needles onto a plane and no one even glanced twice.

So there I was knitting hats, scarfs, baby blankets, pot holders, etc. I then had the briliant idea of learning how to crochet. Not sure what sparked that bad idea, but I was already 3 skeins into a baby blanket before I realized that knitting would have been so much faster. I decided that I needed to join a knitting/crochet group that would reignite that fire under my ass about finishing that blanket for a baby that was already two months old!

After much searching, I found a great group of lesbians who knit/crochet weekly. I was hesitant to join because of the obvious, but I talked my boss - who is "one of them" into going with me. Her girlfriend even came along for support. We figured that we could all hold hands if they started questioning us (I mean, me). The first meeting was great - I learned a lot more about the yarn community then I ever could have imagined. Did you know that some people still spin their own yarn! And they discuss it on this website called Ravelry.com People post pictures of their completed work, they trade patterns and get advice about yarns. They even tell knitting jokes!

Its all just too much. But I am enjoying having a place to get some hooking done. The girls are friendly and the tea is great. I'm learning a lot - even without trying! And I have to say that I am very proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone and joining a group full of interesting people that I never would have met otherwise.

Rescue Dogs

People often make excuses for their dog's bad behavior. In my line of work, I hear it frequently - he is a "rescue dog". Like somehow not pulling a dog directly out of it's mother's uterus has somehow contaminated the inside core of the dog itself. Or how not knowing where the dog came from (ie: from a nice lady in Missouri) can automatically make the dog "risky" or "potentially dangerous". People often site the reason for buying a puppy as "so we know it will be 'OK' with our kids.

But the truth is that many dogs that are "bought"are no safer then dogs that are "adopted". All dogs have the potential to bite. Well, all dogs that have teeth, that is - and some that don't! Dogs are dogs, and part of dog language is using the mouth for "corrections". Some dogs bite harder then others (bite inhibition) and some dogs bite more often then others. Some people are lucky enough to never have to witness their dog biting - but the potential is still there. Pure bred bought dogs and the so-called designer bought dogs have the exact same instincts that rescued dogs have. It was not bred out of them.

Even though I know this, I still feel that some dogs are more likely to bite then others. Dogs that have fear issues. Dogs that have guarding issues. Dogs not properly socialized. Dogs not properly trained. Dogs allowed to make their own decisions...

Notice I didn't give a specific breed.

Rescued dog or not, the burden lies with the owner to make sure that the dog is safe. If the dog is not safe to be around the public, it should be kept behind a sturdy gate. If it not safe around even the family, then it should be taken care of in the manner that the owner, the vet, and the courts seem appropriate.

Owning a rescue dog does not give you a license to possess a dog that is not safe. It is also not an excuse when your "rescue" dog attacks another well-behaved rescue dog. In the same manner, owning a *pure bred* designer dog does not give you the license to own a dog that growls, lunges, snaps or bites the rescuer that is going to take that dog from you when you decide that you no longer can care for it in the manner that he has become accustomed because you are going to have a baby.

At some point, you, the HUMAN, have to take responsibility.