I've Moved!

Well, not physically...but I have a new blog and it's a wordpress blog. If you want to come along for the ride, join me at Cohabitation Chronicles!

Don't Be A Flake...Frosted or Otherwise

The Cohabitation Chronicles: The Cupid Shuffle

That title doesn't have much to do with this post, except a round about reference to Valentine's Day...and the fact that HH hates line dances. He asked on his FB status if people would be doing the Cupid Shuffle today. Just silly. LOL!

Anywho, my co-worker got some gorgeous flowers today. People keep asking me where mine are. When I tell them we don't do Valentine's Day, they give me a look of incredulity.

But honestly? We don't need to.

HH does great stuff for me all the time. It's the little things that add up. Running me an Epsom salt bath when I beat myself up at the gym. Cooking dinner and leaving it on the stove when I get home. He just went and bought Bogey a kitty condo. He does laundry during the day, vacuums...sure he sometimes leaves his socks by the bed, and that awful Redskins hat on the nightstand...but that's ok. LOL!

He does lots of little things to show that he cares. He makes me belly-laugh at least once per day. I specifically told him not to do anything today, because he probably would have.

If you celebrate it, have a wonderfully awesome day. And if you don't, have a great day anyway, because you can. :)

The Cohabitation Chronicles: Passing Ships

HH has gotten settled into his job here in Charlotte. The first week, he was able to work first shift, but now he's been moved to the shift he will likely have for a minute: second shift, working 3pm - 11pm. He has worked this shift before, but it's definitely not his favorite. If one of the oldsters retires, then he may have an opportunity to bid on first or third shift. Second shift means we pass like ships in the night, literally. I get up around 6:00am to get to work between 7:00 - 7:30. He's asleep, so I tiptoe around e house trying not to make too much noise. I try to pack my yoga bag and my work bag the nig before, and pick out my clothing, so that in the morning I don't have to rumble around the room too much. Wednesday was my first day back to work after my birthday stay-cation. He graciously got up and fixed me some coffee with the Keurig, and packed my lunch. I could tell he was tired so I told him not to worry about getting up in the mornings. At night, I try my hardest to stay awak until he gets home. Most night's he comes home to me conked out, the iPad next to me on the couch or the bed. Last night was the first night I stayed up, and I think I was out 8 minutes after he arrived. LOL! When I wake up in the mornings, I always find that he's placed the iPad and my iPhone on the charging station next to the bed. :) When he gets up, I'm well into my work day. He will usually do chores, so that means (so far) I don't come home to the house looking crazy, and usually come home to dinner. Winning! He will start laundry and when I come home I will fold and finish what he didn't get to. After I eat, I will fix a plate for him and set it aside so he can just warm it up when he gets home. I don't feel bad now about indulging in my yoga practice because I pick classes that are scheduled while he's at work. We did just join a gym, though. The only time we'll be able to work out together is on the weekends. That's kind of a bummer. I still get texts about his adventures with Bogey, and what he's doing during the day. I think we're falling into a nice routine here. I was talking to a co-worker and she said her husband has worked 2nd shift for years, and at this point if he switched to first shift, they'd kill each other or get divorced. LOL! So I guess there's something to be said for space and absence making the heart grow fonder.

Transfer of Energy

On the way to work this morning, XM played Mint Condition's "Nothing Left To Say." Got me a little teary eyed, because this morning I woke up to a text that an acquaintance had passed away.

This man happened to be the limo driver for Mint Condition when they came here in 2008. He didn't know me from Adam, but because we both knew my friend Steph, at her request he got me the band members' autographs. We met him behind the concert venue after the show, and there he was - bright smile, like a big brother, joking with me about these autographs I do desperately wanted.

The flyer they signed is still framed and I always smile when I look at it.

We befriended each other on FB and would joke around occasionally, but I hadn't talked to him much as of late.

I hope that his 2 kids, his family and close friends can find some peace on the coming weeks. Like HH reminded us at my grandma's and dad's funerals, energy is neither created not destroyed - it just changes form. He's still there with you all.

R.I.P, M.

Bogey Has A Gentleman Caller

So...this dude comes to the patio door and meows for her. Sometimes she just sits there and stares at him. Sometimes, she ignores him.

The other day, HH and I came home and 2 black and white cats were fighting on the porch. One was reallllly pissed. The other was cowering and trying to get away. If I had to guess, I'd say this is the pissed one, and he won the fight? LOL!

In any event, color me tres confused, because Bogey is spayed, and has been for some time. She's not in heat. So what gives?

The Cohabitation Chronicles: Yoga Date

On Sunday morning, HH woke up and said, "we need to go to the carwash. You should come with me!"

Say what now? I don't wanna wash the stinkin' car! I've been driving around with a dirty car since before you got here, and I'm pretty ok with that. LOL!

Then the idea popped into my head, and I said, "ok - I'll go to the car wash with you, if you come to yoga with me this afternoon."

HH: Is this how it's gonna be? Every time I ask you to do somethin', then I gotta do somethin'?

Me: Yup. Yoga is at 4:00pm!

Now...I thought I was going to have to WASH the car. What he really wanted me to do was drive my car there, so that he wouldn't have to make multiple trips. He took care of all the washing, drying, tire shining, etc. Do note that I DID ask where the towels were so I could dry the car off, but he declined my help.

So, I felt semi-bad about the 90 minute yoga class I was taking him to.

Here's what CFYC's website says about their power yoga classes:

"Each Power Yoga class is suitable for ALL LEVELS and all classes are taught in a heated room.

The style of yoga that we teach is called Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga.

This powerful, energetic, flowing class has a strong emphasis on breath and allows beginners, intermediate and advanced students to be challenged in the same class.

The room is heated to help cleanse the body and warm the muscles.

90 Min Power Flow
The full Baron Baptiste Sequence, this 90 min class is guaranteed to take you to your edge."

It says all levels. And I've taken him to yoga before, so I figured he'd be fine.

First of all, he had on TOO MUCH CLOTHING. He had on an under armor top and then a basketball jersey type top over that. I said, "babe, it's going to be 90+ degrees - you got on too much!" He said he would be fine. Second, I kept trying to tell him to hydrate before class. He was drinking coffee. Sigh.

We got to class and set up our mats. He was joking with one of the other students that he was going to spend 89 of the 90 minutes in child's pose (that's the pose they tell you to go to if you feel overwhelmed or you just need a break). But I know how he is, and although they tell you to leave it outside the door, ego is a powerful thing.

We started class in child's pose, went into down dog, high push up...all moving relatively slowly and working on waking up the body.

Then the sun salutations started.

I thought I was going to lose him then. It's a sequence that moves pretty fast, but the teacher will always tell you to move with your own breath. If you're not used to it, you really won't keep up with her commands. Bless his heart, he was trying. I saw the sweat rolling off of his brow and soaking his shirt. After a few salutations, he took off the basketball jersey. I stifled a giggle.

Diane, the teacher, came over and helped him a few times with some adjustments. Watching him in Warrior 1 and 2 reminded me of when I first started out last year. Due to my knee issues I would not bend very deep. She acknowledged that that was his body, and she never forced him into anything.

I think it was about 45 minutes in when HH went missing in action. I looked over and he wasn't on the mat. I thought maybe he went to get some water, or he just needed a break from the temps. I was going to give him a few minutes before I went after him.

Luckily, I didn't have to chase him down. He came back in as we got to our standing sequence. Eagle, dancer, tree...all poses requiring you to balance on one leg. He actually did pretty well. I know during our flow sequence, Diane took us into crow 3 times. I really wish I could have seen him, but the pose requires balance and looking straight ahead. I told him he could keep his feet on the mat, but I don't know if he did it.

Towards the end of the stretching sequence, Diane took us into frog pose. For those of you who aren't familiar with yoga, THIS is frog pose:



First, he wanted to switch mats with me. I thought he wanted to do frog pose up against the wall...but later he said, "I didn't want that lady's azz in my face!" - referring to the person to the right of his mat. I was like, that's yoga - sometimes we occupy the same space! He wasn't trying to hear it. LOL!

After 5 minutes in that pose, he told me that I'm in time out until Wednesday. Clearly NOT happy with me! LOL!

Needless to say, I think he was super duper happy when we hit savasana. All the ladies were joking with him and asking him if he'd be back the next day. Poor thing. He just looked like he wanted to side eye everyone.

On the way home, in the middle of the silence he says, "I'm over here feeling like Marvin Sapp..." and starts singing "Never Would Have Made It." LOL!! Dramatic, much? I fell out laughing over the steering wheel.

I'm so proud of him, though! And today he said he felt ok. But I think that's his last foray into 90 minute power classes.