Post-Drunk Rain

As most of my friends know, when I've had a night of drinking, I pretty much wake up the second the alcohol leaves my system. Which is why in Vegas, I was awake at ungodly hours, and that's why I was up before 8 today.

But I'm okay with it. Because it's beautiful and rainy outside.

Yeah, I said it. It'll clear up later to take Deuce for a walk, for now I'm enjoying it from bed.

And I will nap later.

Unedited.

Doppelganger

Whoa.

Check. This. Out.

Is that not just about the coolest, weirdest thing you've ever seen?

It is. I know it is.

I'll leave you with that gift. I'm off to go drink beer and hopefully flirt with boys. If none of them will have me, the Biff will have to flirt with me. She's been warned.

Hot on the Mesa

For years, the only hot yoga Santa Barbara had was a Bikram studio on Upper State. I definitely intended to try Bikram at some point, but I'll be quite honest with you---I'm afraid. I'm afraid of the 90 minute classes, the rigid structure of the practice, and even more honestly, I have a really weird hang-up/anxiety about the carpet in the studios. Isn't that...gross? Sweaty carpet? I don't know. I definitely want to try it, I just haven't allocated the funds yet. But the international Bikram headquarters are right down the street from my office, and Bikram himself teaches there when he's in town, so I will make it a point to have him teach my first class.

I'm getting off track.

Right, Santa Barbara has a Bikram studio, but no other hot yoga. Lo and behold, CorePower is opening a studio in June! Yay! And, equally as exciting, a new studio opened just recently exactly halfway between my parents' house and the Biff's house. And considering we live a one song drive apart, that's pretty damn close.

Today we decided to try Mesa Hot Yoga together. This was the Biff's first attempt at hot yoga, and I lent her my brown towel, so we each had the best kind of towel possible for our practice!

The class we took was called "Jammin", which as you may have guessed from the name, was full of Bob Marley and reggae music. Sold! The temperature at this studio is lower than I'm used to, 92-95, but it was glorious. The studio itself was so beautiful, on the second floor with an amazing view, bright and airy and sunny. And he instructor was amazing, I loved her guided breathing and the different flows she led us through and I left feeling like exhilarated jelly. I bought a package since they were running a 50% off deal for their opening, so I am definitely going again next weekend!

After yoga, we indulged in brunch at our spot just across the street, Mesa Cafe. Mmmm BISCUITS.

Then it was puppy play time at SBCC. It is so freaking gorgeous out this afternoon, after a gloomy morning. We laid on a hill for ages, just soaking in the sun.

Unedited.

Oh, and I don't have a picture of this, but I wore sexy shirts today, both to yoga and to SBCC. Open back and open sides. HOT.

Now, I nap. After the Biff works tonight, we're going out downtown, and I need my beauty rest after this morning's events.

"Bless my heart and bless my mind..."

Spring Has Sprung

*Of course, not today in Santa Barbara. It's gloomy. Just...generally.

A Dog Sitting Morning

5:07 AM     Wake up with 60 pound dog on your feet.
5:22 AM     Wake up with 60 pound dog in your face.
6:44 AM     Wake up when Dog jumps down off the bed, take him upstairs to go to the bathroom.
7:01 AM     Dog jumps off the bed again. You ignore him, 'cause Dog already went potty.
7:05 AM     Dog starts to puke. You leap out of bed and let him out the front door, sparing the carpet too much damage.
7:15 AM     You finish removing the stain from the carpet.
7:30 AM     Dog finishes acting like he has to be sick again, and finally lays down. You are now awake for the day.

Time for Trade

Tonight was my first yoga for trade shift at my studio! From here on out (or until they fire me, or I decide I'd rather pay $100+ bucks a month again instead of working on Friday nights) I will be cleaning the studio three hours a week in exchange for unlimited yoga.

Pretty solid deal, right? It works out to be more than $10 an hour, or if I go 3+ times a week, one class per hour, and I'm hoping it'll get me more involved in the community, and maybe I'll even make a FRIEND. Just one. I'm not greedy.

And my prediction came true. I knew I'd be working with a guy, and I figured he'd be hot and have lickable abs. Yup. Hot, as most yoga boys seem to be, and nice. And since there were two of us, there was less work overall. It got to be about 7, and he asked me if I was planning to take a class.

"We can...we can DO THAT?!" My mouth dropped open.

So I did. Two classes in one day.

Unfortunately, I didn't have my shit together in time to do the 7:15, which would have been my preference (my stuff was in the car, as I didn't think I'd be practicing), so I did the 7:30 sculpt with him. Well, not WITH him, he was in the front and I was in the back, but you know.

1) Laid down most of the time.

2) 'Cause this teacher was fucking BRUTAL. Without a doubt the hardest teacher at the studio, he was seriously kicking everyone's ass, no matter how in shape they were. Honestly, he wasn't really to my taste, very "gym" in tone, like "one two three vinyasa!",  but he was really nice and positive, maybe I'll try his classes again but NOT sculpt for awhile!

After class, my fellow cleaner finished his shift, and I mopped down the floors, dragging my already exhausted ass around with a mop.

Just as I was telling the instructor that my nickname is "Hurricane Taylor" because I make a mess wherever I go, I spilled the entire bucket of soapy water all over the studio floor.

That was fun.

I'm such a disaster.

I'll confess, I was having major anxiety all day about tonight. I had convinced myself I'd forgotten everything I'd learned at the training, everything I know about how to clean, how to be a responsible adult, how to be a person. I was convinced I'd accidentally burn a hole in the floor. So, I guess spilling a bucket of water is the best it could have gone.

Yeah, that was my night. Total I was there almost four hours, so I feel okay about taking a class during my work shift.

And then I drove up to SB and now I'm tucked into bed with the pup, ready for another spa-like weekend of housesitting.

A Feline Farewell

 

Freshly Scrubbed and Decorated

Nothing makes me feel quite as girly and pretty as fresh new beauty products.

I got all my new makeup last week, and yesterday I made a run to Target for new facewash and shampoo and conditioner.

I smell deliiicious, and I'm struttin' around all fancylike.

Dork.

Also at Target, on a whim I bought a strand of glass lights. My intent was to hang them above my TV, but they weren't quite long enough so they ended up on the bedroom side of my studio.

I'm questioning my choice now, though. As much as I love color (no really, I love color), are they a little too....young? Am I past the age where I should have colored bulbs in my room?  They're very pretty, a marbled sort of glass, but I'm not sure how I feel. Perhaps I'll exchange them for a different kind of light. Something more mature and lady-like? Clear?

Or maybe I say FUCK IT. I DO WHAT I WANT.

Plus, check out my new wall pictures! I know I mentioned them weeks ago, but it was only last night that I finally got them permanently hung up. They kept falling down, and the zebra frame is sorta broken now. Bah.

You know me, I love my modern motivational posters.

Wink for Links

This Photobombing Dog Is The Best Thing To Happen To Craigslist In A Long Time

My question is, how many photos did he sneak into without being noticed before his person started posing him?

17 Mesmerizing Before & After Photoshop GIFs

I love this kind of stuff. Photoshop videos on YouTube, too. SO FASCINATING.

Thug Kitchen

This is just brilliance on an unparalleled scale.

The Worst Tattoo Spelling Fails

So no one, from the person getting tattooed, to the artist, to anyone in the shop, though to use spell check? Or a brain? No?

Infographic: The Languages Of New York, Mapped By Tweets

This is just NEAT. There's nothing else to say.