It's Getting Scary...

Aaaaaaah Fuck. We're in for a fight...

 So, I'm super worried. I'm getting nervous and scared and pretty damn concerned about the world starting to look more and more like Europe in the 1930's. Guys, this Brexit thing is fucked. Not only is the UK (soon to just be England, as Scotland votes again for independence and Ireland talks about reuniting(!)), and the EU and pretty much the world FUCKED over it. But I am honest-to-god scared out of my mind that Trump might win in November.

What all of England is thinking right now.

Nope.

Nope.

Nope.

I cannot today.

Please stop with the jingoism and xenophobia. Please stop with the fear-mongering and the refusal to acknowledge the difference between facts and talking points. Please stop with the racism, homophobia, anti-immigration bullshit spouted from idiots who want to "go back" to a time when being a white cisgendered MAN was the pinnacle of perfection.

The rest of us actually like the forward-thinking progress that has been made in the last 60 years. We want to move towards a better future, not sink into an imaginary past. Please just stop.

Vote against Trump. Vote against all politicians in the NRA's (and other special interest's) pockets this November. Get them out. Keep them out. Move onward and upward. PLEASE.

I know you like Bernie, but he's not going to be the Democratic nominee for President. I don't love Hillary either. But I also didn't love Bernie. You  know what? I'm gonna get over the fact that "my candidate" lost (because Elizabeth Warren hasn't even run for President yet), and I'm going to vote for the Democratic nominee. Because Trump is (and I'm quoting the British response to his insane Brexit tweet) a "touped fucktrumpet".

Pretty much just Trump in 2017, a year after he wins.

Nope. Get out. Stop right now. Actually think about what you're going to do if he wins. You think the world's response to Brexit is bad? Imagine the worldwide economic, and political ramifications if Trump wins. Think for a second about that. And then vote against it. Because I really don't want Immortan Joe as President.

Day By Day

Who's got 2 thumbs and is headed to Seattle in 6 days? THIS GIRL!

So... I head to Seattle in 6 days, which means that I have a day and a half of work, a Salon shoot, an entire Kids TT (over 3 days), and two days to pack and enjoy NY before I head to the airport bright and early (another 7am flight outta JFK...) on Wed 6/29.

This also means that I have MAJOR senioritis at work right now. I've consistently been here 4-5 days a week going on 5 weeks now, so yeah. Not only am I ready for a little break, I am ready for some time off to get things done during the week. I know they're having issues hiring a full-time office manager, but come ON. The chick left at the beginning of April. I was supposed to be a stop-gap. Not that I'm complaining about a consistent paycheck, but I do feel like I'm tied to this job. I'd like to have some more flexibility with my weekday scheduling. Go to some more auditions, just have time to prepare for the upcoming events in my life. I mean, I very easily could have been available to work next Monday and Tuesday, but I need to do laundry and pack and breathe and recover from 5 weeks of working M-F, and filling up my weekends with summer (and kids tt), as I tend to do.

Breathe, laundry, pack, recover, and then fly back to Seattle.

Where I have to juggle literally ALL OF MY FAMILY, trying to see my friends, Nana's memorial, Pam's 60th, the 4th of July, trying to get out in the sun. trying to enjoy my vacation, and not spending too much $$ (since I won't be working those 10 days)...

I am excited to head back. But slightly overwhelmed at all the things I need to shoehorn into what I thought was going to be a more relaxing vacation. Especially the first week I'm there...

Well, I do have 3 weekdays with no plans right now, so I think those will be the ones for me to get some beach/friend/chill out time, since the rest of the time I am juggling family obligations.

Ultimately, though, I am there for la mama: to celebrate Nana, enjoy 3-girls time, bond (more) with Luna Lovegood, and get that good quality mother-daughter time together that we were planning when we first started talking about her coming out here over the weekend of the Fourth.

And I am very grateful that they somehow managed to get everyone out there for Nana's Memorial at the time when I was already planning on being on the west coast! I would have been heartbroken to miss memorializing her life and am glad that it is working out with so many different families to all get together over the holiday weekend to tell stories and share memories of Nana and her importance in our lives.

Six more days, guys. Six more, and then I'm on a plane back to my beloved PNW.

And 1.5 left of this 9-6 life...

What a Wonderful World

These sunsets, you guys...

I know it probably seems repetitive and over-the-top to keep professing my love for the sun and keep posting sunset pics from my walks to class on Monday and Tuesday nights, but dear GOD, I just cannot get over how stunning some of these sunsets have been! And walking the whole way to class means that I have even more opportunities to take glorious pictures.

I've titled this one" Light and Shadow"

I love these various shades of blue.

Last night the sky was incredible. The sun was behind these clouds of varying density, so it was shining out and lighting up the sky in the varying shades of blues, punctuating it with these beams of light. It was just surreal.

I feel like a choir of angels should have been singing to me...

Then, since I left my apartment about 10 minutes earlier last night than I did on Monday, I got to see the sun bounce off the gold facade on the front of the main branch of Brooklyn Public Library right as I turned onto Union past the Grand Army Plaza.

The BPL!

You can BET I will be making this walk to work for the next few months. As long as the weather stays nice. It's just barely 2 miles and takes a little over 40 minutes. Plus, bonus of no subway wait, no over-ac in the train, no oppressive heat in the station. And since I know exactly how long the walk is going to take me, there's no risk of arriving late to class.

Tree trunk blocks the sun

I just love it so much! Plus, teaching another Sun Salutation-heavy class to three more lovely yoginis. And I made them sweat yesterday. I turned on the fans about halfway through our first Vinyasa... muahaha! (I like to evil laugh after I make them work hard. Out of love. Always out of love.)

Almost to work!

Tomorrow we're finally filming the reading of the #nakedtempest comment sections for Salon and I cannot wait! I'm heading there straight after work! Crazy! I cannot believe that this is actually happening. Hopefully we have good weather (right now it's supposed to be a high of 73 with the chance of rain) since we're shooting it on Summit Rock (where we performed), but other than that, I only see good things! More press! An excuse to see my Tempesters! Hopefully an update on Minneapolis!

Yay good things happening!

And I hope you don't get sick of all the sunset pics. I just have a feeling they're gonna keep coming!

World Yoga Day

That's today!

I also just found out that today is International Yoga Day! Celebrate! I love that I get to teach tonight! Can't wait to tell all my students! w00t!

Solstice with the Mostest

The first sunset picture from Crown Heights.

So, for once, I pretty much did exactly what I said I was gonna do after work. Yesterday, I got home, worked out, and then left a little bit early so that I could walk to my gym instead of take the train, enjoying the longest day of the year out in beautiful summer weather. And OMG, it was so worth it! Besides feeling super warmed up by the time I got to class (a 40 minute walk will do that for you), I also got to experience one of the most beautiful sunsets in my walk from Crown Heights through Prospect Heights to Park Slope. I honestly felt like I won the jackpot!

Right past Grand Army Plaza as I turn from Prospect Park/Prospect Heights into Park Slope

West Wing Weekly playing on my phone, 75 degree humid weather at 730pm, and a 2-mile walk. It was pretty darn near perfect! Plus, mentally planning how best to Salute the Sun with a Sun Salutation-based class that was both tough, and, I think, fun! Three lovely ladies attended and seemed to enjoy it, so there will be something similar tonight.

Park Slope nearing work

I was trying to figure it out, though, because I was confused, I thought that Solstice was on June 21st NOT the 20th, and then, it hit me! This is a LEAP YEAR! Of COURSE the Solstice is a day early on Leap Year! It also means Winter Equinox will be on December 20th instead of the 21st this year. It throws everything off by a day. So strange to think about and to realize that I've never thought about it before...

Look at that SUN! What is it they say about red skies at night?

I also feel infinitely better today than I did yesterday. I struggle bussed HARD yesterday (even my 21DFX workout was off), but it felt like the second I left the apartment to walk to yoga, everything zoomed into focus, and both the teaching and demo-ing felt really on point.

I love this same look with the brownstones in the picture... DYING!

The sun, you guys, the summer and the sun. Thank you, weather. I always forget what a sun baby I am until I am literally buoyed into a better mood by sun and warmth! Warm weather can cure everything in me from lethargy to a hangover to a cold to just FEELING cold. It's just happy-making! Thank you, sun!

About to cross the street to work. I can't. It was perfection!

Mischief Managed

Last night's HUUUUGE moon! It was full and stupendous and I love it!

Friday night's moon from Rooftop Reds...

Yesterday was glorious! On top of the beautiful (albeit slightly humid) summer weather, and it being the longest day of the year, there was also a full moon. I am obsessed with the moon. I love it so much. You might even say it makes me "moony" (yeah, I went there). And there is really nothing quite like a summer solstice full moon. I've been chronicling it for the past 3 or 4 nights, and last night it was huge and yellow-orange and overwhelming.

Saturday night's moon on the walk TO karaoke.

So, here you have my moon pictures. They will never do it the justice of seeing it in person, but dear god, so beautiful!

Saturday night's moon on the walk to the subway. Cloud cover!

Going Out with a BANG!

Me on the MLS homepage singing the National Anthem!

Sunday started early once again! Another late night into a fairly early wake-up, so that I could get to the 7th Heaven festival and volunteer at the Slope Fitness booth for an hour. I was supposed to wake up early so that I could workout before I volunteered, but Saturday night after karaoke, my phone took me on a long(-ish) walk to a farther away subway station thinking it could get me home with two long(-ish) walks and only one train, but when I got to West 4th, the A train was just sitting in the station, so I ended up taking the D to the 3 anyway, and from one stop farther away... BUT good train karma to the rescue because the 3 was right there when I got to the platform at Atlantic! (thank the gods) It still meant that I didn't get home until 2 or so, but hey! Better than 4!

Kids at the 7th Heaven festival playing violins! Too cute!

Anyway, needless-to-say, I got up at 10, left the house at 1030 and was in Park Slope by 1045. I hungout handing out balloons, talking to people about classes, meeting other instructors until noon, then headed home to get my workout in and shower before jumping on a train to get to Carlow. Usually, my trip to the UES is one train (the 4), and 45 minutes. Yesterday, because it was the weekend and construction, the 4 wasn't running in Brooklyn, so it took me three trains (3 to Q to 4), and 90 minutes to get there... And the 3 was delayed, so my very first train, which, when the 4 isn't running is really my only train option, left me standing on the platform for 20 minutes right off the bat, then a 10-ish minute wait for the Q, then the 4, which was running local. Boy howdy did I have to pee when I got to Carlow!

Pretty much the only good thing to come outta Sunday's trip to NJ: this sunset picture.

But we all met up, eventually, drank cheap booze there, and then piled onto the subway to the PATH station to meet up with security, to get led into the stadium all about an hour before the game started. Which is why we had to wrap up at Carlow at 4 to make sure we'd make it to Jersey by 630. I met my friend Mark, another former Seattleite, now based in Philly, there in Newark (less travel time for him), and we all piled into the stadium...

...the watch the Sounders absolutely implode...

My very blurry, directly into the sun photo of my stalker. 

Dempsey is playing with the USMNT in Copa America right now, and without him, there is almost no one else to get the offense going. Not that others didn't try (especially Ozzie), and we had some very promising opportunities that just didn't pan out. AND the Redbulls first goal was pure luck (the shot bounced off the goal post and landed at the feet of another NYRB player, so Frei was already on the ground... Stupid), but yeah. Wasted opportunities. I just don't think we're gonna salvage this season. Le boo...

Ugh, plus getting home from Jersey late on a Sunday night after your team loses is the worst... I didn't get back until about midnight... So yeah, definitely did NOT get up when my alarm went off this morning.

But! I have plans to do a whole sun salutations class tonight in honor of the summer solstice, and I'm thinking that I am going to walk to the gym from my place tonight. Try to enjoy the longest day of the year as much as I possibly can. Before tomorrow when the days start getting shorter again...

But Welcome Summer! The weather here in NY is certainly acting like it's finally summertime (but without much humidity yet. Not complaining!)...