what have I been up to?

1. not writing haikus.

I have been working on a 17 part collage self portrait-ish using photos my gramma took at christmas this past year. my room has been transformed into some kind of cut out paper scrap recycling factory. I showed up to yoga yesterday with bits of scrap paper stuck to the bottom of each of my feet.

2. dressing up like a blurry penguin and running thru the woods. see photo.

who knew that trail running could be so freaking awesome? I ran 5 miles the other weekend on a whim and (brag in 3...2...1...) came in 4th of the women in my age group. (I'm 31, for the record.) I got another one this weekend somewheres in issaqua. might have to bust out the little red shorts for that one.

3. learning to ask for what I want.

I have been going to acupuncture at this one particular place since september. she is good at what she does. she has a black belt in some martial arts and while it has no apparent relevance or influence on her knowledge and practice of oriental medicine, it sometimes feels like she's trying to karate chop my spine with her post puncture massagey rubdown. I had come to kind of dread that portion of my rehabilitation and daydreamed the day when my back and insurance declared me free and clear, relieving me of this now once every three weeks torture. today I was feeling a little more tired/sensitive than usual, my practitioner, a little more peppy than usual. at some point, whilst enduring muscular manipulation, the point in my glute a few inches below my hip bone to be exact, I kinda wanted to cry. my feeble moans provoked a friendly, 'lemme know if you want me to ease up' from my tormentor to which I quickly replied 'yes, could you ease up?' a wash of relief passed over me. 'yeah I'm a little heavy handed,' she laughingly confessed. 'I've been meaning to ask you that for months,' went my unsaid reply. it's like because it's good for me I didn't want to say anything, thinking that my chi wouldn't be activated without the 150 psi handy work. sigh. so as it stands, I have, lying prostrate, grined and beared 11 months minus half a session of unnecessary healing brutality. and to show for it? a lesson to last me a lifetime. or at the very least, the rest of my acupuncture sessions.