Nativo Lodge, Albuquerque, July 10, 2016

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I am staying the night at the Nativo Lodge, a very interesting hotel in Albuquerque. The hotel is permeated by a Native American theme, the price was right, and I even got a coupon for a 15% discount on the restaurant and bar! Can’t beat that! Above there is a picture of the statue of the Native American deity that graces the lobby. The staffing is minimal, but the employees they have are very friendly and efficient. I give it a good recommendation.

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This morning I felt I needed a strong flow workout as I am missing my Saturday and Sunday classes with my yoga muse, Ramona Magnolia Tamulinas, so I took in a class at the Bend Hot Yoga studio in Prescott. The class, at 8:45 am on a Sunday, was packed, and the flow, while kind of formulaic was stimulating, fun, and generated copious sweat. While Ramona’s classes at Yoga World are room temperature classes, somehow they also turn into hot yoga classes due to the energy that is generated in the room. Students entering for the next classes always remark on how warm the room is, and that warmth is not externally generated but created by Ramona’s flow combined with the energies of the students. Her classes are the things that I miss most when I am on the road!

The drive up from Prescott was beautiful, but I was in for a bit of a shock when I stopped in Gallup and stepped out of my car–the temperature was 100 degrees, with a strong and steady wind of about 20 mph from the WSW. Not a very pleasant place to be outside when you throw in the high level of dust in the air. From Gallup to Albuquerque I could see clouds building to the south, and as I approached there were a lot of scattered thundershowers but all stayed to the south of I-40.

Tomorrow I head to Colorado Springs, taking the scenic route through the mountains. If the weather holds it promises to be a beautiful drive.

Raven Cafe, July 9, 2016

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It is almost 9 pm, and Jeremiah and the Red Eyes just finished their first set at the Raven Cafe. As expected the sound here is awesome, thanks to the efforts of Jacob the sound man extraordinaire. The band (only Jeremiah and Matthew Magener, the drummer, made the trip) is ripping it up. In the featured image above you can see Jeremiah and his flying fingers captured, and you can see some videos that I have posted on my Facebook page.

Above on the left is Jacob, and on the right you can see the sound booth above and the stairs that Jacob has been running up and down dialing in the sound. Jacob does have a complaint–he also has to do gaffer’s duty using the special tool, the BFS2.0** (a replacement for the BFS1.0 which snapped), and the management will not spring for any gaffer’s tape for him. C’mon, Raven, he works hard, so make his life a bit easier!

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Tomorrow I will be taking a morning yoga class, and then it is off to Albuquerque on the next leg of the trip.

** Big Fucking Stick 2.0

 

Starbucks, Prescott, July 9, 2016

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I am now at Starbucks in Prescott, rehydrating with a Passion Fruit iced tea after taking yet another class at Sutras Yoga. Today’s class was a donation class taught by rotating teachers, and today’s instructor was Jason. A couple of the questions I had yesterday have been answered. First, the extensive preparation for class (setting out mats, blocks, bolsters, blankets, etc.) that I saw in both Cristina and Jason’s classes are indeed idiosyncratic to those two. As Jason put it, he and Cristina are kindred souls, and he knew that when he found out that she practices at home on a pink mat, just like he does. I also found out what services are available in the dedicated Healing Room…

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Last night I had dinner and entertainment at the Raven Cafe. Dinner consisted of their salmon dinner along with a pint of porter, and the entertainment was an outstanding blues performance by the R. D. Olson band as this was the occasion for their CD release party. I was pretty close to the action as the piano (and saxophone) player was practically sitting at my table. The food and beer were good, the music was great, and I was particularly impressed by the sound man at the venue. One of the places I used to like to go in LA when I got out more was Genghis Cohen, and one of the reasons I liked it so much was the sound was always great due to the efforts of their sound man, Terry. At the Raven the sound booth is upstairs, and to get from the booth to the front requires going to the back of the store, down the stairs, and then up to the front, and the Raven’s guy was literally running back and forth in order to work out some problems with the console next to the stage.

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Tonight I am looking forward to returning to the Raven to see one of my favorite LA area bands, Jeremiah and the Red Eyes. Jeremiah is back on the road following a rather nightmarish solo tour last month that left him stranded in Flagstaff. I guess he never learns, but that’s all to the good as far as I am concerned.

Sutras Yoga, July 8, 2016

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1:43 pm, and I am at Starbucks in Prescott. I really like the atmosphere at Wild Iris, but as the wi-fi was not working I decided to move it up the road a bit. I took the Yoga Bliss Yin class at 10:45 with Cristina Hunt at Sutras Yoga. Sutras is a small and very welcoming studio in the heart of Prescott just a block west of the Courthouse Square. One of the notable features of the class schedule are the “Yoga Bliss” classes, and I believe that this term is both the trademark of the owner of the studio, Amber Aten, and an indicator of one of her guiding philosophies.

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Entrance to the studio

The interior of the studio is very nicely appointed, comfortable, and very conducive to a calm and meditative practice. There is also a dedicated “Healing Room”, and I am very much interested in finding out more about what kind of healing services and practitioners are available there. The art work on the back wall of that room is pictured above in the featured image.

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Interior view, with Jason prepping for class, and Cristina preparing to leave

Above you can see the interior view of the studio. On the left you can see Jason prepping for his Happy Hour Flow class. Both classes I have taken here have made extensive use of props (and picking up props afterwards), and both teachers have spent time before class laying out mats and props for the students. I don’t know at this point whether that behavior is idiosyncratic for Cristina and Jason, or if that is the modus operandi for the studio as a whole. My guess is it is the latter and that is part and parcel of the Yoga Bliss package.

On the left above is the Om Mandala, which is very nicely executed, and on the right is good old Ganesha in all his glory.

 

Wild Iris, July 8, 2016, 10:00 am

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At the Wild Iris Coffee House in Prescott, located conveniently next to my yoga destination, Sutras Yoga. For all my coffee shop aficionados, this is a great place! Spacious, comfortable and loaded with food and drink options, both of the sweet and savory variety.

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They also have a macchiato that meets my requirements by not drowning the espresso in milk. Not as cute as the cortado at Steelhead, but still very good. Pictured below you will see a slice of frittata and my macchiato.

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The only downside for now is that the wi-if is not working, so this post will be a bit shorter than usual as I am now relying on my wireless access :-(. Not as fast, and potentially expensive…

 

Prescott, July 7, 2016

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Now in Prescott, AZ. Took a leisurely drive up today, but arrived too late for a yoga class (sad face emoji here), so getting some dinner at Tara Fine Thai Cuisine. Very hungry!! There is quite a crowd across the street in the Courthouse Square listening to the Prescott Idol competition. I took in a couple of acts before I surrendered to hunger.

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Last night I finally made it to downtown Long Beach to the open mic at the Hellada Gallery. I got there at 7, which was when it was supposed to start, and there were only about 5 people there, including me, but as the night rolled on performers kept on showing up and it turned into quite a lively show. My favorite was Dorothy Ism. Those of you who have been around me lately know my obsession with rebuilding my feet, and Dorothy has feet to die for. They appear to be the feet of a ballet dancer and are linked inextricably with her singing. It’s really cool when the performer is so taken with the music that she begins to levitate above the floor! The people are very friendly and supportive, the sound is great, and there is a great atmosphere and some nice art always on exhibit. I highly recommend it for the performers (or wannabe performers) out there. Signup is at 6:45, and the show runs from 7-9.

Tomorrow I am planning on starting the day with some walking around Prescott, followed by the 10:45 Yoga Bliss Yin class at Sutras Om School. Afterwards more exploring, and then I will be doing more exploring. Maybe I can even find some kind of a mat Pilates class. One of the downsides of going on the road for an extended period of time is my miss my weekly Friday sessions with my core coach, Stephanie Winkler. She customizes combination of mat Pilates and barre work that has done wonders for both my core (the Pilates) and my feet (the barre). Stephanie is another key member of “John’s Team” of dedicated practitioners working to help me build a better me!

Steelhead, July 6, 2016

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It’s 10:03, and I am at SteelHead Coffee. I just finished my usual breakfast, the cortado and eggs and toast, and had a chat with the folks above. Against the wall you can see Sarvat and Bemmy. Sarvat is a management consultant, and he is today doing some work to support a non-profit, Ocean Discovery, that works to provide students with ocean-based science experiences. Bemmy is a doctoral student in Public Policy at UC Irvine studying urban environmental policy. Across the table is Aziz, Sarvat’s nephew, who is visiting from Azerbaijan. When I asked Sarvat if I could take a picture of him he jokingly said that he was a bit hesitant because he thought that he “looked a bit dangerous”, which is, of course, code for “looks like a Muslim”. It is a sad state of affairs when beautiful people like Sarvat and Bemmy need to have those kinds of concerns weighing on them. They are, by the way, expecting their second child.

As for me, I am getting ready to hit the road. Looks like my first stop will be Prescott, AZ. I was there a couple of years ago and had some very nice yoga experiences that left me hungry for more! I am planning on saturating myself in the environment of Om Sutras School in Prescott. My favorite experience of my last trip was the Sunday morning Yoga Bliss class with Amber Aten, and I see that she is teaching it again this coming Sunday. I need to tie up a few details here and will probably hit the road tomorrow.

Right now it is time to continue my walk over to LA Fitness. My trouble spots (currently left shoulder and right hip) are both feeling much better following my massage therapy with Teresa and my session with Donna Place. It’s kind of hard to categorize what Donna does as she is totally eclectic in her approach; it’s a mixture of gyrotonics, Pilates, deep-tissue massage, and anything else that she knows. Whatever it is, it has been invaluable to me. Yesterday in passing I met another of Donna’s long-time clients and was very envious that she has been seeing Donna on a weekly basis for over ten years. My advice to all of you out there is to find yourself a “Donna”, meaning a skilled and knowledgeable practitioner with thumbs of steel and a wide array of knowledge and skills who will work tirelessly to build you a better body!

Not my typical day…

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It’s now 11:28, and I’ve got a lot crammed into one day! Did the usual morning routine, followed by a bike ride to Steelhead for breakfast and then onto LA Fitness for a yoga class with JR. JR does great yoga, and has the vocal quality, intonation, and attention to make the class almost a hypnotic experience. He is a good role model for me at my current stage of development. Most of my teachers to date have been rather willowy and lithe younger women, and the physical constraints on their range of motion and mobility are very different from mine, as in the mythical “easy seated pose”. I most highly recommend that any of you more mature individuals seek out older and more experienced teachers who specialize in making sure you don’t get hurt.

imageBut I diverge! I am now at one of my daily hangouts, the DRNK Coffee House in Bixby Knolls. In top image you see manager Mildred training new employee Gary, while Nieya (like papaya) and Curtis cavort behind the espresso machine. This is a great hydration station for me between LA Fitness, with the added benefit that before I had actually completed my transaction my drink was in my hand. Great to have places where your name is known!

I will now ride home to get ready for a 2 hr massage with my masseuse, Teresa. Our usual is 1 hour, but Teresa has been out of action since April and I had 3 left on my package and both needed and wanted some extra time. Changing my gait has been VERY challenging to my body and I have accumulated barrels of that “insult and injury”, and I find massage to be a very helpful tool in the “dealing with it” phase. I am planning on hitting the road for a few weeks and didn’t want to wait until August to get that attention.

Then it will be off to Long Beach Gyrotonics in Naples where I will be seeing my body mechanic, Donna Place. Our usual day would have been yesterday, but for the 4th, but she managed to squeeze me in for a last minute tune-up. I didn’t get to where I am now alone. I have a team of practitioners who I contract with to help me achieve my goals, and Donna is a key member of that team. There will be more about her in the future.

 

Independence Day, 2016

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It is just about 10 am and I am spending a leisurely morning, working on my new job: keeping fit and talking about it. No holidays for the committed! One of the categories in this blog is “Places I Like”, and in that category will go posts like this one, where I am going to talk about my favorite place for hanging out in the morning, Steelhead Coffee in California Heights.

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Steelhead is on the north side of Wardlow just east of Orange. It is a small store, seating 26, and I really like the setup of the chairs. I have been coming out of my shell lately and really enjoy opportunities to talk to others, and I find the arrangement of the benches on the east wall very conducive to striking up conversations with complete strangers, something I seem to be doing a lot of lately.

They have a nice assortment of sweets (which I avoid like the plague) but also a couple of savory croissants, one a ham and cheese and the other spinach and feta and both very tasty. On most days you can find either a ham and cheese or spinach and mushroom quiche, both good, but my favorites are the eggs and manchego on toast, and the avocado and heirloom tomatoes with feta on toast. Delicious both, and I will usually have one or the other Monday-Friday! I am still learning this blogging thing, so as soon as I figure out how to have multiple pictures in my blog posts I will post pictures. You can find pictures on my InstaGram account CaptainUnivac.

The staff and customers are incredibly friendly and the atmosphere is always up lifting. This morning we have Kat, Mike, and Oscar manning the fort, and I did see Robbie a bit earlier. They are all serious baristas and are either already masters or committed to learning some nice latte art!

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Sunday morning, July 3, 2016

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It’s Sunday morning, and I just got done hanging out at DRNK coffeehouse and playing some LiteBrite with my young friend Savannah. She is a most delightful young lady who comes in most Sunday mornings. Sometimes it is with just her dad, Drew, and sometimes with her mom Pam and her younger sister Callista.

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Yesterday was a bit of a non-typical day. My plan for Saturday was to do my usual morning workout, ride my bike to Steelhead, for breakfast, then ride over to Yoga World studio for a class at 11 with my yoga muse, Ramona Magnolia Tamulinas, followed by a longer bike ride home, then walking, shopping, dinner, open mic at Fox Coffee House, and then going to hear Cubensis, a Grateful Dead tribute band. That plan was altered when my friend Kerry Winston Ward (fulltiltward on YouTube) posted on Facebook that he and his lovely daughter Indigo were enroute from Cabo San Lucas to Vancouver and had a layover in the afternoon at LAX and would love to meet anyone available for lunch or other adventures. The timing was right, and I haven’t seen Indigo since she and her dad camped out in my living room for a few days around New Year’s, so I altered my plan. I rode the bike back home, drove to yoga, and afterwards up to LAX where I picked up Kerry and Indigo. We had lunch at Ayara Thai restaurant in Westchester where we were met by Jack Kalvan. Then it was back to the airport and back home for a nap. I did make it to the open mic, but wound up bailing on the late night outing to see Cubensis.

I’ll be riding my bike back home shortly, then it is off to another class with Ramona at 11, followed by an excursion up to the Original Muscle Beach (OMB). One of our tribe, Heather Renee, is moving to Portland and today is her send-off day, so it should be a great day at the beach. May be a little cool and cloudy, but that never stops the stalwarts!.