how to do your hair at the bus stop on 19th and chestnut.

well. the key here is to not care about what people think.

the end.

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got to y2 at 6:13ish... got to see adam and the morning crew. had a quick breathing exercise with david. chanted. practiced. intensity.  the place filled up.

i was done by 7:40. quick savasana... sad. i took a quick shower. like 30 seconds. got dressed with a wet body.. and ran down the stairs to the bus stop.

realized the bus was a few blocks away so i proceeded to put on my face lotion at the bus stop on 19th and chestnut.. and while i was at it.. i sprayed some surf spray into my entangled hair and fluffed it up a few times. shook it out. and then realized the people in the cars were staring...

but i figured... what the hey? who cares. hahaha. this bus stop is my home. 

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working everyday at 8 starting today. practicing everyday at 6:15. 

what a week!?

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huckabee and pig pictures coming soon. aka when i'm home at night and have my laptop full of goodies.

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singing and signing off! 

amanda kain

a recent pig pic i love.

boytoy's brother moved in. we switched rooms. he lives in "bedroom." we in "living room." the above photo was taken after we moved all of our bedroom stuff into the living room aka our new bedroom... and i swept up 6 months of dust. pig looks too cute for words. 

my work mantra for the week.

"maybe you don't like your job. maybe you didn't get enough sleep. well, nobody likes their job. nobody got enough sleep." -ani difranco

i've been listening to pixie (the quote from above is in this song) every time i put on my ipod. on the way to work, and on the way home. it just resonates with me. i guess the lack of sleep. jonah's changing nap schedule. time change. etc. has put a damper on my life this week. 

only got to practice 3 days this week, but i'll be well rested for when david comes on tuesday! i'm so excited. the shala is gonna be full of energy.

also, liz phair is like a life saver. her lyrics just get me ramped up and happy.

a quick photo documentary from brooklyn trip.

sitting, drinking, chatting at 9th street espresso. 

these stickers were all around town.
q and i had brunch here after yoga to the people and 9th street coffee.
apple, ginger, carrot juice at second helping in bk after long day of running around manhattan.
taking photos of quinn for her bike blog.
one for the history books...
sunday morning, after my ashtanga practice at guy's... waiting for the F train. (sweaty, see hair!)

i almost didn't make it...or old speckled hen is so yum.

let me set the scene: went out last night for some brews with my college buds. we went to barbes. it was packed. we got some drinks. stood in a corner. i flirted. i cause trouble. it's who i am.

old speckled hen. great beer. i got it solely for the name.. but it turned out to be good. i had 1 and a half.. alexis drank my other half.

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we make it home. hang out. watch old college videos. it's insane to see yourself a few years back. i was definitely like 15-20 lbs heavier... but i never thought i was "fat." i guess my confidence was so strong that i never realized i heavy for a short girl.

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anyway, this blog is not about weight. or beer. it's about my philly life and the adventures that ensue.

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scene starts here:
alarm goes off at 7:20am. i turn it off. get back into the twin bed with alexis. she asked me if i was going to yoga, and i said, i need a few more minutes. after going over the reasons why i should go to practice or should just sleep... practice got the best of me... and i got dressed and went out the door by 7:40 am.

5 minutes to get to subway.
10 minutes to wait for train.
15-20 minute ride to 2nd Ave stop..
15 minute, slow and steady, no rush walk to shala.
i still get there at like 8:30... too early. (50 minute commute i think...)

i sit in tomkins square park and think about life. i read my new book. i see a yogi walk by. i figured she was also going to guy's shala. so i follow her to see if she knows when the doors open.
we wait together. her friend shows up. another guy shows up. eventually the door opens.

once inside, i have no idea what is happening. i hang up coat. take off shoes. drop trous. shove clothes into bag. head into shala...sign my waiver, leave my 20 dollars on a counter and hope for the best.

i do my sun salutes slow and steady. i'm always always always nervous practicing in a new setting. i take deep breaths and just jump in. guy walks over to me during my b's and asked my name. i said amanda. he shook his head in a nod of approval seeing that i already signed my waiver and left money and let me go on my way.

during the opening chant, my heart was pounding. i don't know why i got so nervous, but i could barely chant. maybe just being in new york was overwhelming. or a new setting. new teacher. not knowing a single soul.

practice was so intense. i felt like had to do my best practice since i was new. i was very focused. breath so strong. sweaty doesn't even begin to describe my life.

guy adjusted me in a few poses. i didn't expect that. but on my waiver it says i practice 4-5 times a week, so i guess he knew i wasn't fucking around with the practice. i normally don't expect to get adjusted from new teachers right away, but his adjustments were exactly what i needed.

i did my closing. he helped me in headstand and i have a little more clarity over the headstand situation. i grab my belongings from cubby, and as i head out the door, i mouth the words "thank you" to him and he nods.

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50 minute commute back to brooklyn. i walked slow and steady on the way home because of my yoga high. i felt like i knew the area really well and i found my way back to the subway no problem.

train had a bunch of delays. but i read my book and waited for my stop.

got a little turned around when i got out of station.. but eventually found my way back to alexis's apt. now she is cooking me breakfast and singing prince. i love her. xoxo

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david comes in a little over a week. i'm ready. ready ready. and steady.

this is me posting from bk.

i worked yesterday from 8-545. 

walked to chinatown. finally found my bus company. new century 2000 travel.

let me tell you, it was horrific. mobs of people. chaos. disorder. 

all i could do was squeeze my yoga mat against my chest and breathe.

patience is a virtue and all i could do was breathe and be nice to people. 

i missed the first 2 buses. but finally squeezed my way onto the 3rd that had come by.

i sat next to a brooklyn girl who is my age. has a master's and has been unemployed for almost a year. 

i got into chinatown around 9:10. quinn couldn't find me for like 20 minutes. so she took a cab to come get me. 

we finally made it to brooklyn at like 10:30. went to eat at kitchen bar. i had a burger and a pomegranate mojito. 

at quinn's by 12:30 or so. in bed. slept really well.

it's quiet here except for this song.....

umm all i hear are birds. it's amazing. but i still would never live in new york and that's that!

mondays practice.

i've been busy. work. work. work. moving around apartment. wart on foot. boyfriend  has shingles. work work work.

kcdv gave me a ride to y2 so i didn't have to wait for the bus in the snow storm. it was awesome! thank you so much! glad i made it to practice because sunday i took off to take care of my foot and boytoy... and today i have lady's holiday. so back to the mat tomorrow. thank goodness. i'll get two more practices in this week, then off to new york... maybe qr will take me to yoga to the people so i can do something physical this weekend. hmm.

i'm so beat. i'm beat. beat beat. beat poet. 

if the computer at work isn't fixed, then my blogs are probably going to be short and sweet like this because i normally don't have time to blog once i get home...

(plans for this week in the evenings: monday: rearranged apt. tuesday: walmart and ikea. wednesday: cleaning y2 real good. thursday: laundry.. or led class at y2? friday: off to new york!)